2 Ingredient Mozzarella Cheese

     A little over a year ago I made a pizza entirely from scratch (except for the pepperoni) and that included the mozzarella I topped it with! Back then I used whole milk to make the mozzarella and ever since then I've been dying to try it again with raw milk because I heard it is better that way. However, it is pretty hard to come by raw milk. So, when I heard from my mom friends that a family near me had a dairy cow and were selling the milk I was ecstatic. I went and bought some as soon as I possibly could and immediately made butter and cheese. 

    My mozzarella turned out a little better with raw milk versus whole and I was even able to get more cheese from the same amount of milk. Whole does work perfectly well though so if you are unable to get your hands on some farm fresh milk you should still try this recipe! The recipe I use doesn't use any fancy ingredients such as rennet and cheese salt. I don't make it often enough to make it worth buying anything super special. Also, from what I've read, it doesn't make that big of a difference. 

    I started off by heating up my milk to around 115 degrees Fahrenheit in my dutch oven. I did accidentally get it a little too hot but it didn't wreck the process. The first time I didn't use a thermometer at all so you really don't have to worry about temperature specifics. If you are worried about messing up though you can use one anyway.

    Once the milk was heated to the temperature I wanted I turned off the heat and immediately added my vinegar and mixed until just combined. I then put the lid on my dutch oven and let it sit for at least 5 minutes. Next, I gathered the curd and put it in a separate bowl. I then squeezed as much of the liquid (whey) as I could. 

    To get the way out you can use a cheese cloth or a spoon because the curd can still be pretty hot but I  find it easier to just use my hands. When I got as much of the way out as I could I reheated the cheese to about 150 degrees F. Again, the temperature doesn't have to be exact, just get your cheese to the point where its melty and stretchy but still stays together for the most part. While heating or once you're done, stretch and knead your cheese. The first time I kneaded the cheese after I heated and this time I kneaded while I was heating. The result was the same but the cheese can cool pretty fast so I preferred to do it with a spoon while I heated. 

     While you're kneading you add in any salt or flavoring you want. I've only ever added salt but I can imagine it could be tasty with garlic powder or something. When the mozzarella is nice and smooth, form it into a ball and put into a bowl of cold water. After a minute or too add ice to the water and allow the cheese to completely cool.

    When your cheese is cool its ready to eat! You can eat it immediately or wrap it in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge. I like to put mine on toast or make pasta. Any time I make something like this I want every time I eat it to be extra special so I rarely use it in things where the flavor will be hidden. 

How did this recipe work for you? What did you make with your mozzarella?