Authentic Homemade Mozzarella using starter - recipes?

[ratana]

Does anyone have any recipes for making fresh mozzarella with the thermophilic starter, that have been personally tried and tested?  I just bought the cheesemaking kit mentioned in the previous thread (started a new topic since that one had not had a reply in 120 days), but this is for a 1-hour cheese, and from what was said there, I am not expecting it to be superior to the fresh mozzarella Grande cheese I can readily buy.  So obviously I have some homework to do, but in the meantime wanted to see if anyone had any "advanced" recipes for when I or anyone else gets to the stage where we want to do this in an authentic, quality way (no microwaves!!).

Having had a visit to Totonno's recently, and Nicks, Grimaldi's, #28, etc before that, I am really after the kind of quality that only homemade mozzarella can provide...  It really seemed to make a huge difference to me, mostly in texture.

One recipe I found that maybe I will try if there's no alternatives was here:

http://www.geocities.com/heartland/cottage/1288/hard/mozz.htm

ps. Jeff, if you are still around, how did your results with the culture go, did you ever achieve anything really noteworthy and superior to store-bought? Any recipes to share or sources for authentic recipes?

[zalicious]

Bumping this. I just finished reading that thread myself, & then spent an enjoyable hour checking out everything at Leeners. Any updates/recipes anyone?

[ratana]

I have tried 5-6 times now.  I have had problems getting non-homogenized milk, finally found some at whole foods.  I have done it the hard way, and the easy way, and I have bought curds (polly-o curd) and pulled the cheese from the curds.  I bought a few books for recipes and have looked online and found several other sources, and watched some youtube videos(!). I think at some point I will try it again doing it the hard way, but for now, my results have not been good.  I think they have been acceptable results, from an objective point of view, but the cheese was just not better than the grande fresh mozzarella. I am used to.  It is hard to maintain the temperatures and get everything proper.  It is a very scientific process and it really does seem suited to large batches of milk, rather than just 1 or 2 gallons.  Plus the smell of ripening, heated milk, turns my stomach.

Based on these experiences though, I am beginning to think that many places that claim to make their own cheese, may just be buying commercial curds (polly-o, grande, belgioso, etc), and working the cheese from the curd.  The reason is, you get very little cheese from a gallon or two of milk.  Even the Fornino youtube video that may have been linked to on here, the chef is showing how to make it from the pre-made curd, not from scratch, from milk.

[zalicious]

  Plus the smell of ripening, heated milk, turns my stomach.

Ha! I was worried about this. I toured a cheese making factory when I was a kid & I almost lossed it/tossed it .

[ratana]

Yeah, as much as I love cheese, I actually have a milk-phobia, so it was very difficult to do this.  It stinks up the kitchen, takes all day, and in the end you're almost afraid to taste it!  Also, if you do it the culture way, you need a good pH meter.  A cheap one will not do, as it needs to be useful in "wet" applications and needs to be temperature sensitive.  This was not a cheap purchase.  So with that said, I will be trying again, for now I would recommend trying to get your hands on a curd, and learning the stretching/ball forming process that way, so you don't spend 6 hours and do that part all wrong because you have no experience!!  All that takes is hot water and ice water, and 2 bowls.  A lot less painful.

[zalicious]

Thanks .