Detailed step-by-step description of how to cook the dish "Natural yoghurt". Try it by all means
- Half-fill the sink with cold water. Place the milk and milk powder in a medium saucepan. Whisk well to combine. Reserve 125ml (1/2 cup) of the milk mixture. Heat remaining milk mixture over medium-high heat until it just comes to the boil. Remove from the heat. Place saucepan in the sink of cold water, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes or until a thermometer reaches 43°C. (Heating and boiling the milk helps it set and kills any bacteria that may interfere with the live cultures (yoghurt). If you add the yoghurt when the milk mixture is too hot you will destroy the cultures and the mixture will not thicken. If the milk mixture is not warm enough it will take longer to thicken and the yoghurt may have an acidic or tart flavour.)
- Whisk the reserved milk mixture and yoghurt in a small bowl. (Combining the yoghurt with the cold milk reduces the chance of it curdling or separating when added to the warm milk. It also makes it easier to distribute the bacteria throughout the milk and helps ensure it sets evenly. There are a variety of natural yoghurts available. The freshness and brand of yoghurt you use will affect the thickness of your final product.) Add the yoghurt mixture to the warm milk and whisk to combine. Pour the mixture into the clear container of your yoghurt maker and screw on the lid.
- Push the baffle (the base that sits inside the yoghurt maker) down as far as it will go. Pour boiling water into the yoghurt maker to the line at the top of the baffle. Place the jar with the yoghurt mixture inside and close the lid.
- Set aside for 8 hours or overnight until yoghurt sets. When you open the inner jar, you will find liquid around the edge of the yoghurt known as 'whey'. Carefully drain off the excess whey and place yoghurt in the fridge to chill for 3-4 hours. (Some homemade yoghurt may seem thin, depending on the yoghurt you make it with, but will firm up slightly on chilling.)
- For a creamier yoghurt, whisk it until smooth before chilling. Once chilled you can whisk again before serving. For an even thicker yoghurt, simply line a sieve with a double layer of wet muslin. Place sieve over a bowl and pour in yoghurt. Cover and set aside in the fridge for 2-3 hours. This will drain any excess whey, leaving you with thicker yoghurt.
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