Easy Homemade Mozzarella
Making easy homemade mozzarella is simple, satisfying, and totally doable. With a few ingredients and a bit of patience, you’ll be rewarded with soft, stretchy cheese that tastes like it came straight from an Italian kitchen.
Equipment
- Large pot (non-reactive, stainless steel or enamel-coated)
- Slotted spoon
- Cooking thermometer (digital or instant-read)
- Microwave-safe bowl or pot with hot water for stovetop method
- Colander
- Cheesecloth (optional, for draining)
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Rubber gloves (optional, for hot curd handling)
Ingredients
- 1 gallon whole milk not ultra-pasteurized
- 1 ½ tsp citric acid dissolved in ¼ cup cool water
- ¼ rennet tablet or ¼ tsp liquid rennet, diluted in ¼ cup cool water
- 1 –2 tsp kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Warm the milk: Pour the milk into a large pot and stir in the dissolved citric acid. Slowly heat the milk over medium heat to 90°F (32°C), stirring gently.
- Add the rennet: Remove the pot from heat. Stir in the diluted rennet using an up-and-down motion for about 30 seconds. Cover the pot and let it sit undisturbed for 5–10 minutes, until the milk sets into a custard-like curd.
- Cut the curds: Once the curd is firm, cut it into 1-inch cubes with a long knife. Let the cut curds rest for 5 minutes.
- Heat the curds: Return the pot to low heat and slowly warm the curds to 105°F (40°C), stirring gently to keep them from clumping. This helps them firm up and release more whey.
- Drain the curds: Use a slotted spoon to transfer the curds to a colander. Let them drain for several minutes. You can line the colander with cheesecloth if you’d like to catch every bit.
- Heat and stretch: You can use a microwave for this. Just heat in 30 second increments. Otherwise, in a separate pot, heat water to 185°F (85°C). Place the drained curds in a large bowl and carefully pour some of the hot water over them. Let the curds sit for 30 seconds to soften.
- Wearing rubber gloves or using spoons, gently stretch and fold the curds. If they cool and become stiff, return them to the hot water for another 15–30 seconds. Repeat until the cheese reaches 135°F (57°C) and stretches easily. Sprinkle in the salt as you stretch.
- Form and cool: Shape the cheese into a smooth ball (or smaller balls for bocconcini). Submerge in a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes to help it firm up and hold its shape.