in response to reverie... Hi Johnathon,
Here is what I know about Bulgarian White Cheese
I'll give you all the measurements in Metrics since I know them this way and it is easier for me. I hope it will not be difficult for you to translate them in whatever measurement system you are used to.
Products:
10 l Milk (for best results I would recommend sheep's milk, but you can experiment and achieve good results with caw's milk as well) On average caw's milk produces 1kg cheese from 7l milk, ship's - 1kg cheese from 5l milk.
20 ml Cheese yeast (It is a special product that you have to obtain in order to make cheese. In comparison with the yogurt making where one can use little yogurt for starter with the cheese it will no t work this way. Here is a link to one of the possible sources: http://www.biokom-trend.com/object.php?id=697 )
Salt 200 g / 1 l for the initial processing brine
Salt 120 mg / 1 l for the later keeping brine
Who to
- Filter the milk
- Heat up the milk to 70C being careful not to let it boil.
- Slowly cool it down to 33-34C.
- Boil water.
- Cool it down to 25C
- Dilute the yeast in the water - 1:10
- Add this liquid to the milk
- Stir well slowly and leave the mix at 33-34C for 1 hour
- Put the jelly like mass in strain gauze and let if hang over some pan for 2 hours. This process will drain most of the liquid from the cheese.
- Put the drained fresh cheese in strainer between two wooden surfaces. Press with some weights (10kg for 10l milk) and let it like this at least 6 hours.
- Cut the fresh cheese in large even pieces and put it in the initial processing brine (200mg/1l). Let is in for 24 hours.
- Drain the initial processing brine and change it with the later keeping brine (120mg/1l). Keep the cheese in this condition at 10C for 60 days.
- After this the cheese is ready and it should be kept in the same brine in refrigerator.
If you don't like to wait that long you can try it before 60 days pass.
I love fresh cheese.