Why It Is Worth the Faff

There is something quietly satisfying about opening the fridge and finding a jar of yoghurt you made yourself. It costs a fraction of the supermarket version, it tastes livelier and tangier, and it arrives without a single plastic tub. Better still, the same batch can be strained into soft cheese, which means one afternoon's work fills two gaps in your weekly shop.

You do not need special equipment, a yoghurt maker or any kind of gadget. A thermometer, a clean jar and a warm corner of the house are enough. If you already bake bread, you will recognise the rhythm: heat, wait, watch, and let time do the heavy lifting. Once you have made three or four batches, it becomes as ordinary as putting the kettle on.

What You Actually Need

• A thermometer. A digital probe or a sugar thermometer reading from 0°C to 110°C. This is the one piece of kit worth buying.
• A clean one-litre jar with a screw-top lid, or a lidded bowl. Wash it in hot soapy water and rinse well.
• Muslin or a clean, thin tea towel, plus a sieve that sits over a deep bowl.
• Milk. Whole milk gives the creamiest result; semi-skimmed works perfectly well and is a little tangier. UHT milk is the most reliable of all, because nothing in it will compete with your culture.
• A starter. Two tablespoons of live natural yoghurt, ideally one with a label that mentions live cultures.
• A warm spot. An airing cupboard, a cool box lined with a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel, or a wide-necked flask.

Your First Batch of Yoghurt

Pour a litre of milk into a heavy pan and heat it gently to 82–85°C, stirring so it does not catch. Hold it there for five minutes, then take it off the heat. This step sounds fussy but it changes the texture completely, giving you a thicker, less watery set.

Now cool the milk to 43°C. A sink of cold water will get you there in ten minutes or so. Meanwhile, loosen your two tablespoons of starter yoghurt with a little of the warm milk in a cup, then whisk it back into the pan. Pour everything into your jar and screw the lid on.

Keep it at 40–43°C for eight to twelve hours. Overnight usually suits best: pop it in the airing cupboard before bed and it will be set by morning. The longer it sits, the sharper it becomes, so if you prefer a milder yoghurt, aim for eight hours. It will look slightly wobbly at first — that is normal. Chill it for at least four hours and it will firm up nicely.

Before you eat the lot, spoon two tablespoons into a small pot. That is the starter for your next batch. Do this four or five times, then begin again with a fresh shop-bought yoghurt to keep the culture lively.

Turning It into Soft Cheese

Line your sieve with muslin and set it over a deep bowl. Stir a teaspoon of fine salt into 500g of your yoghurt — the salt draws out moisture and seasons the cheese at the same time. Tip the lot into the cloth, fold the edges over, and put the whole thing in the fridge.

The timing decides what you get:

• Four to six hours: a spoonable fromage frais, lovely on scones or stirred through pasta.
• the texture of cream cheese, perfect for bagels and cheesecake.
• Twenty-four hours or more: firm enough to slice or roll into little balls, in the style of labneh.