One of the benefits of making your own mozzarella is the ability to eat it fresh and warm. This is not an experience you can get from the store-bought product unless you happen to be there as they are making the cheese. If you’re going to eat it right away, you can forgo the ice bath at the end of the recipe and serve it instead. It’s an unforgettable experience and one that any cheese lovers worth their salt should try at least once.

　　

Ingredients

makes 3/4 pound

　　1/4 teaspoon/1.8 grams strong lipase (see Sources, page 309)

　　1/2 cup/112.5 grams water

　　1 1/2 teaspoons/9 grams citric acid (see Sources, page 309)

　　1 cup plus 1 tablespoon/240 grams water

　　1/2 rennet tablet or 1/2 teaspoon liquid rennet (see Sources, page 309)

　　1/4 cup/56.25 grams water (omit if using liquid rennet)

　　3 quarts plus 2 1/2 cups/3,785 grams whole milk (not ultrapasteurized)

　　Fine sea salt

　　

Step 1

Dissolve the lipase in the water at least half an hour before making the cheese to allow its flavor to develop.

　　

Step 2

Mix the citric acid into the water until dissolved.

　　

Step 3

Mix the rennet tablet into the water until dissolved.

　　

Step 4

Pour the milk into a large pot set over medium heat. Heat the milk to 50°F (10°C), then stir in the citric acid and lipase mixtures. Continue heating the milk, stirring constantly, until it reaches 90°F (32°C). Remove the pot from the heat. Add the rennet, stirring slowly from top to bottom to fully incorporate it. Cover the pot and leave it undisturbed for 30 minutes.

　　

Step 5

After 30 minutes, check the curd. It will have come together into a uniform silky mass. With a long knife, cut the curd all the way through to the bottom, holding the knife at a 45-degree angle and cutting across the curds in both directions to form a uniform grid pattern. Place the pot over medium heat and heat the curds to 110°F (43°C). Use a slotted spoon to gently move the curds while they heat. Once the curds reach the desired temperature, remove the pot from the heat and stir anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes, shorter for a softer cheese and longer for a firmer one.

　　

Step 6

Place a colander in a bowl and drain the curds, reserving the whey. Gently fold the curds a few times with a rubber spatula to release more whey. Weigh the whey and calculate 2 percent of its weight; this is the amount of salt you will need to add to the whey to make the cheese— roughly a very scant teaspoon of salt per cup of whey. Put the whey and salt back in a pot set over medium heat and heat to 185°F (85°C).

　　

Step 7

Meanwhile, divide the curds into three piles. When the whey reaches 185°F (85°C), use a slotted spoon to lower the curds one pile at a time into the whey. Dip the curds in and out of the hot whey until they warm up enough to be malleable and stretchable. Remove one pile of curds from the liquid and, with your hands, stretch and fold it until smooth and silky (in the same way you would fold bread dough). Do this quickly for a soft and delicate cheese. For fresh mozzarella we stretch and fold for a minute or less. When you are done stretching the cheese, form it into a ball and place it in an ice water bath if the cheese is to be stored (if serving the cheese right away, set aside on a plate). This will set the texture of the cheese. Once it is cold, remove it from the ice bath. Repeat the procedure with the rest of the curds. Store in the cooled whey or plain water in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

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