Homemade Mozzarella Cheese
This homemade mozzarella recipe walks you through making fresh, stretchy mozzarella cheese from whole milk using a classic heat-and-stretch method. Gently acidified milk is turned into tender curds, then kneaded and stretched in hot whey until smooth, glossy, and elastic. This fresh mozzarella is best served immediately and works beautifully in salads, on pizza, or sliced and finished with olive oil and salt.
Tasty Team
Total Time
50 minutes
50 min
Prep Time
5 minutes
5 min
Cook Time
30 minutes
30 min
Total Time
50 minutes
50 min
Prep Time
5 minutes
5 min
Cook Time
30 minutes
30 min
Ingredients
for 8 servings
- 1 gallon (3.8 liters) pasteurized whole milk (do not use ultra-pasteurized)
- 1 ½ teaspoons citric acid
- 1 ¼ cups room-temperature water, divided
- ½ teaspoon liquid animal rennet
- ¼ cup fine sea salt
- 1 cup cold water
Preparation
- Pour the milk into a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Stir together the citric acid and 1 cup of the room-temperature water in a small bowl until fully dissolved, about 1 minute. Gently pour into the milk. Cook over low heat, stirring using a wooden spoon and using a slow, up-and-down motion, for 10 seconds. This gentle stirring ensures even acidification and prevents the future curds from breaking.
- Continue cooking over low heat until the mixture reaches 90°F (32°C), 8–10 minutes, stirring gently every 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Stir together the rennet and remaining ¼ cup room-temperature water in a small bowl until combined. Pour the mixture into the milk mixture, gently stirring up and down inside the pot for 10 seconds. Do not keep stirring after this point.
- Cover the pot, and let the milk mixture stand, undisturbed, for 5–10 minutes, until the curds look like a solid mass of soft cheese floating in clear whey. Using a long knife, cut the curds into large chunks directly in the pot. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the curds and whey.
- Return the pot to low heat, and gently warm the mixture to 105°F (41°C), undisturbed, until the curds soften, look glossy, and begin to sink slightly, about 5 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, gently adjust the curds to prevent sticking. Do not stir, and do not boil the whey. Remove from heat.
- Using a slotted spoon or a measuring cup, gently scoop up the chunks of curd from the whey, and place them in a large fine-mesh strainer or a nut bag. Wearing neoprene heat-resistant gloves, gather the warm curds in your hand, and press them together to squeeze until little water is left in the curds, about 5 minutes. Measure 1–2 cups of the drained whey into a small heatproof bowl, and set aside. The remaining whey should be returned to the pot and heated to 180°F (82°C); this hot whey will be used during the stretching process.
- Working over a medium heatproof bowl, gently knead the curd into a ball (as you would bread dough) in your hands, lifting and folding it over itself, dipping the curd back into the hot whey if the ball gets stiff. If the curd tears, quickly return it to the hot whey in the pot, and resume stretching until it is silky, uniform, and stretches without breaking. Repeat this process until the cheese is shiny and the top becomes smooth and tight, about 5 minutes. Pinch the bottom of the cheese ball closed.
- Stir together the cold water and reserved 1–2 cups whey in a medium bowl. Submerge the mozzarella ball in this mixture, and let it stand for 15 minutes. This step is crucial for stopping the internal cooking process.
- For the best texture, serve immediately at room temperature. If storing, keep the mozzarella refrigerated in lightly salted water in an airtight container, and consume within 48 hours.
- Enjoy!
- Cook smarter, not harder. Use our AI chef Botatouille on the Tasty app. Download now.
