Stovetop Yogurt
Making yogurt at home is less about a recipe and more about managing temperature. You are creating a controlled environment for bacteria to ferment lactose into lactic acid, which thickens the milk.
Sanitation is your primary ingredient.
Scald your jars and whisk before starting. Any stray bacteria will compete with your starter and can ruin the texture or taste of the batch.
- Heavy-bottomed pot
- Instant-read thermometer
- Whisk
- Clean glass quart jar
- Cooler or heavy towel
What goes in.
- 1 quartwhole milk
- 2 tbspplain store-bought yogurt with live cultures
Maintaining 110°F
The bacteria need a steady, warm environment. If the milk drops below 100°F, they go dormant; above 120°F, they die.
The method.
Scald the milk
Pour milk into the pot over medium heat. Bring it to 180°F, whisking occasionally to prevent the bottom from scorching. Keep it at this temperature for 2 minutes to change the protein structure.
Cool the milk
Remove the pot from the heat. Let it cool until the thermometer reads between 105°F and 110°F. Do not rush this, or you will kill the culture.
Inoculate
Take a small ladle of the warm milk and whisk it into the starter yogurt in a small bowl until smooth. Pour this mixture back into the main pot and stir gently.
Incubate
Pour the mixture into your clean jar. Place it in a cooler filled with warm water or wrap the jar tightly in a heavy towel and keep it in a draft-free spot for 8 to 10 hours.
Set and chill
Once the yogurt has reached your preferred firmness, move it to the refrigerator. It will continue to firm up as it chills.
Other turns to take.
Greek-style
After the yogurt has chilled, pour it into a cheesecloth-lined strainer over a bowl. Let the whey drain out for 2 hours until it reaches a thick, spreadable consistency.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use a glass jar for incubation; it holds heat better than plastic.
Do not shake or move the jar while it is incubating, as this can break the delicate curd.
The longer you incubate, the tangier the flavor becomes.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why is my yogurt runny?
The milk likely didn't reach the full 180°F during the initial heating, or the temperature dropped too low during the incubation phase.
Can I use low-fat milk?
Yes, but the resulting yogurt will be thinner. Whole milk provides the best structure.