From here on out, there are two ways to proceed. This stage all happens in your stainless steel pot. Homogenized milk, on the other hand, has been processed by a high-pressure pump that breaks those blobby fats into smaller bits, increasing their surface area by up to 10 times. Pour the milk into the citric acid solution and stir it to combine. With your strong hand, and only your strong hand, grab a piece of mozzarella and roll it in the flour on the first plate, until it's completely coated. You're really going to feel super great about the next step, though. Let's just eat. Oh god is it on fire—have broken down and some of the liquid has simmered away and the color has deepened and, hey! If it resists, return it to the bowl and add some more hot whey (or stick the bowl back in the microwave), and try again. Prep the Ingredients. "The minimum legally required temperature for pasteurization [145°F] basically has no effect on the protein," explains Metzger. There shouldn't be a sensation of forcibly stretching, pulling, kneading, or tearing the curd. Once the whole mass looks smooth and shiny, fold the stretched curd over itself until it's roughly the size of your palm. Once your whey has reached 105°F, turn off the stove and let the pot stand for five to 10 minutes—we want to give the curds and whey the opportunity to settle and separate from each other. Adjust the seasoning in the breadcrumb mixture to your liking. And, most importantly, we do it because making the stuff at home is a fucking pain in the ass. This mozzarella? Also! Longer-term storage at low temperatures, high-temperature pasteurization, and homogenization can all alter the protein structures, ultimately wreaking havoc on your ability to make great cheese. It's your own damn food. You can keep the pot on low heat; you'll need more hot whey in a bit. Sauté 2 thinly sliced cloves garlic until fragrant, 1 minute. Peevishly correct his foolishness on Twitter @albertburneko, or send him your creepy longform hate-missives at albertburneko@gmail.com. Position this second plate on the other side of the bowl. You're gonna use the Wet Hand/Dry Hand method for doing this, so that neither of your hands gets both dry stuff and egg on it. The way to do that is to encase it in layers of the stuff. allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/27972/homemade-mozzarella-cheese.aspx Repeat this mind-melting tedium with all the other mozzarella pieces, pausing to wash and thoroughly dry your hands each of the half-dozen inevitable times when you forget the whole Wet Hand/Dry Hand thing. Niki is the Editor in Chief at Serious Eats and a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. Whether you're using the microwave or the whey, after about 15 seconds, stick your heavily begloved finger into the dish. For starters, do a quick inventory and make sure you have a full set of measuring spoons and a liquid measuring cup—we'll be adding very precise amounts of those coagulants. You can tip the strainer from side to side, as in the image above, to help drain extra liquid off the top, since the curds should naturally form a large, semisolid mass. Great mozzarella shouldn't be noticeably salty, but I do like to offset the intense milky sweetness just a bit. That said, many (including Metzger) caution against consuming raw milk, not to mention the fact that it's illegal or exceedingly hard to find in some states. In other words, this isn't that stiff, tough ball of vacuum-sealed supermarket mozzarella, and it's definitely not the low-moisture cooking mozzarella that you throw on pizzas or lasagnas. Some comments may be held for manual review. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Well nobody held a gun to your head, jerk. A perfect accompaniment for turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. Just take a look at the samples below: From left: mozzarella left sitting out after shaping, mozzarella rested in room-temp whey, mozzarella rested in room-temp water, and mozzarella rested in ice water. If you decide to use the microwave, you can put about a third of your curds into a microwave-safe dish, microwave it on high for 15 seconds, and just skip the instructions in the next paragraph. The only obstacle? Do a little dance, and then resist the temptation to pop it right into your mouth. I can feel it. Do not knead the curds. What's that? The first method involves the microwave, which, I'm pleasantly surprised to admit, totally does work and yields almost-as-delicious results. But, ever impatient, I decided to try breaking the rules and comparing the traditional method to something a little more straightforward. (If you don't have a wooden spoon but do have a frying thermometer, first of all why, and do you always do things the backward way, but also anywhere from about 350 degrees to 375 should be OK.). Food-grade citric acid is available in most well-stocked supermarkets, often near canning-related items, but if you can't find it, just order it online instead; my one-pound supply cost about $10, and it'll last me a long, long time. When the whey's hot, throw on your gloves and use a ladle to add enough liquid to cover the curds. Ultra-pasteurized milk is heated to a whopping 280°F (138°C), which leaves a lot of wiggle room between that 145°F (63°C) baseline.