Homemade mozzarella is so tasty! Ready in 30 min, the popular Italian cheese is super easy to make at home, and you need just 4 ingredients.
Who doesn't love mozzarella? Soft, juicy, and incredibly milky, it's delicious on its own, and it can instantly brighten up lots of dishes, from pasta bake to salads, and obviously, pizza!
It might surprise you to learn that mozzarella, like many other kinds of cheese and dairy products, can be prepared at home and it's not difficult as you might think!
The origin of its name comes from the cutting operation performed to separate the individual pieces from the dough, which in Italian is called "mozzare" (to cut off).
With 100,000 tons exported, this unique dairy product is the third most appreciated Italian cheese abroad, after Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano.
Making it at home is very simple and if it doesn't go well the first time, don't get discouraged, the more you practice the better it gets.
Homemade Italian cheese with just 4 Ingredients
Yes, you only need four simple ingredients. And they're all quite easy to source.
- fresh whole milk
- citric acid
- liquid rennet or a rennet tablet crushed (for tablet, read the package instructions for quantities)
- fine sea salt
Milk is a fundamental element for preparing mozzarella at home. You can use raw milk (from a trusted source), pasteurized milk, homogenized or non-homogenized milk.
Avoid buying the ultra-pasteurized one because it does not form a firm enough curd to get the right consistency. You can use almost any kind of fresh milk, so don't stress too much over choosing the right one.
I tried this recipe both with regular fresh whole milk found at the store, and with farm-fresh milk, and they gave me equally delicious results.
Additionally, you will also need liquid rennet, drinking water, powdered citric acid (you could replace with lemon juice if necessary), and fine sea salt.
All ingredients that can be purchased at the grocery store except for the rennet, that you can easily find online.
How to make mozzarella step by step
Step 1. Place water in a small bowl, add in the citric acid, and stir until dissolved. Now, Heat the milk in a large pot, add the citric acid + water mixture and stir the milk gently until reaching 90°F/32°C.
Step 2. Place the rennet in another small bowl, add the rennet and stir until dissolved. remove the milk from the heat, and gently stir in the rennet + water mixture.
Step 3. Cover the pot with a lid and let it sit for 5 minutes.
Step 4. The milk will turn into a tofu-like consistency, if not let it sit for an extra 5 minutes. Then, use a sharp knife to cut the curds into a grid-like pattern.
Step 5. Return the pot to heat and slowly stir the curds until reaching 110°F/43°C. Remove from the heat and gently stir for 5 more minutes.
Step 6. Use a slotted spoon to remove the curds from the pot, pressing them gently with your hand to pour off as much whey as possible, and place them in a large bowl.
Reserve 2-3 cups of the whey (the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled) and store the remaining whey for another recipe (you can use it for making homemade pizza!)
Step 7. Pour hot water over the curds, enough to cover them, and let sit for 2 minutes. Sprinkle a little salt all over (optional), and start working the curds (make sure to wear rubber gloves!). Use both hands to stretch and fold the curds a few times, until you have a firm shiny mozzarella "dough".
Recipe tip: If it still has a cottage-cheese consistency, drain off the water, add more hot water and continue to stretch and knead the cheese until needed. Be careful not to overwork the mozzarella ball, or it will end up having a rubbery consistency.
Step 8. Once your mozzarella dough is ready, shape into a large mozzarella ball or form smaller balls. If the water gets colder whilst you shape the cheese, top the "dough" with more hot water. Once ready, eat them straight away or store for later.
How to store mozzarella cheese
Place your freshly prepared balls in a large container and top them off with their cooled reserved whey. Store in the fridge for up to 2 days. I do not recommend freezing them.
Why is my mozzarella rubbery?
Most probably you have overworked your dough, it happened quite a few times when I started making this cheese at home.
Do not stretch and fold the curds too much, a couple of times should be enough. Also, try to avoid stirring and cutting the curds too much.
Here's a recap of all the tips you need
- Go for fresh whole milk, make sure it's not ultra-pasteurized
- Wear rubber gloves before forming your cheese balls, as the whole thing gets really hot!
- Use hot water, but not boiling water, otherwise, your curd will dissolve.
- Do not overwork the mozzarella "dough", as it will make it rubbery.
Recipes To make the most of your homemade mozzarella
- Italian Fried Mozzarella Sandwich
- Italian Pasta Salad with Basil Oil (substitute burrata with mozzarella)
- Zucchini Boats with Tomato & Mozzarella
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how you liked it! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #thepetitecook! Looking at your pictures always makes me smile *and super hungry*!
Easy Homemade Mozzarella
Ingredients
- 250 ml water
- 1 teaspoon citric acid
- 30 drops liquid rennet, vegetarian rennet
- 3 liters fresh whole milk
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Place 200 ml of water in a small bowl, and stir in the citric acid until fully dissolved. In another small bowl, add in the remaining 50 ml of water and stir in the rennet until fully dissolved.
- Pour the milk in a large pot, and stir in the citric acid mixture. Place the pot over medium-low heat and stir the milk gently until reaching 90°F/32°C, about 5 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat and slowly stir in the rennet mixture.
- Continue to stir for 30 seconds, then cover the pot with a lid and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Remove the lid from the pot and make sure the milk has reached a tofu-like consistency (if not, allow to set an extra 10 minutes). Use a sharp knife to cut the curds into horizontal and vertical lines, creating a grid-like pattern. Make sure to cut the lines all the way through the bottom of the pan.
- Return the pot to medium-low heat and stir the curds gently until reaching 110°F/43°C. Remove the pot from the heat and continue to stir the curds slowly for 5 more minutes.
- With the help of a strainer (or slotted spoon), remove the curds from the pot and place them in a large bowl. Reserve 2-3 cups of the whey to preserve the mozzarella later.
- Pour enough hot water to cover the curds into the bowl, and allow them to sit for 2-3 minutes, until reaching 135°F/57°C. Sprinkle the salt over the curds and quickly work the curds, making sure to wear rubber gloves.
- Use both hands to stretch and fold the curds a few times, until you have a firm shiny mozzarella “dough”. If it still has a cottage-cheese consistency, drain off the water, add more hot water and continue to stretch and knead the cheese until needed. Be careful not to overwork the dough, or your mozzarella will end up having a rubbery consistency.
- Once your mozzarella dough is ready, shape into a large mozzarella ball or make smaller balls, and place them in an air-tight container.
- Mix the reserved whey with a generous pinch of salt and pour it over the mozzarella balls. Eat as soon as it cools down, or store the cheese balls in their water in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Notes
- Go for fresh whole milk, make sure it's not ultra-pasteurized
- Wear rubber gloves before forming your cheese balls, as the whole thing gets really hot!
- Use hot water, but not boiling water, otherwise, your curd will dissolve.
- Do not overwork the mozzarella "dough", as it will make it rubbery.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Leave a Reply