Making Artisan Cheese (24 page)

Swiss cheeses, such as Emmenthal, are ordinarily made in large wheels, but the recipe can be scaled down for home use. Just keep in mind that making the largest wheel that you can will enable the cheese to develop maximum Swiss cheese holes, or eyes.

INGREDIENTS

2 gallons (7.6 L) whole milk

2 tablespoons (30 ml) thermophilic mother culture, or ¼ teaspoon (about 2 ml) thermophilic direct-set culture

1 teaspoon propionic shermanii powder dissolved in ¼ cup (60 ml) 90°F (33°C) milk

½ teaspoon (about 3 ml) liquid rennet or ¼ tablet dry rennet dissolved in ¼ cup (60 ml) cool, unchlorinated water

Brine solution (see
page 86
)

TECHNIQUES

For illustrated steps and tools, see Intermediate Cheese-Making Techniques,
page 82
.

PROCEDURE

Heat the milk to 90°F (33°C), then stir in the starter culture. Add the dissolved propionic shermanii to the milk, and stir thoroughly. Cover and let the milk ripen for ten minutes at 90°F (33°C). Maintaining the target temperature of 90°F (33°C), add the diluted rennet, and stir for one minute. Cover and let sit for forty minutes at the target temperature, or until you have a clean break (see
page 83
). Once you have a clean break, cut the curds into ¼" (6 mm) cubes. Maintaining the target temperature of 90°F (33°C), stir the curds for forty minutes. Use a wire balloon whisk to get the curds into a uniform shape.

Gently raise the temperature to 120°F (49°C). This should take about thirty-five minutes. Stir frequently to keep the curds from matting. Once the target temperature is reached, maintain it for thirty minutes, and continue stirring with the balloon whisk. Use an up-and-down/twisting motion to expel as much whey as possible. Your curds will be very small and will bind together in a small ball in your hand when they are ready. Let the curds rest for five minutes. Pour off the whey.

Pour the curds into a 2-pound (900 g) cheese cloth–lined mold. Cover one corner of the curds with the cheese cloth, top with the follower, and press at ten pounds for fifteen minutes. Remove the cheese from the
press, and slowly unwrap the cloth. Turn over the cheese, rewrap it in cloth, and press at fifteen pounds for thirty minutes. Repeat this procedure, pressing at fifteen pounds for two hours. Repeat again, pressing at fifteen pounds for twelve hours. Remove the cheese from the press, and immerse it in the brine solution. Flip over the cheese occasionally, and let it sit in the brine for twelve hours. Keep the cheese at 70°F (21°C).

Downsizing Emmental

Emmental comes in huge wheels, weighing in at 180 to 200 pounds (82–91 kg), typically produced commercially in two wheels at a time. Needless to say, it is impossible for the home cheese maker to duplicate this production, so this recipe has been modified. However, the larger the batch, the more likely you will get the look of the Swiss cheese holes, or “eyes” as they are called, you will be better off if you double the recipe.

Remove the cheese from the brine, pat dry, and put on the cheese board. Store the cheese in your refrigerator at 55°F (13°C) and 85 percent humidity for one week. Be sure to turn it and wipe it down daily with washing solution (using a clean cloth dipped in brine). Take the cheese out of the refrigerator, and put it in a warm room, anywhere from 68°F to 75°F (20°C–24°C). Turn the cheese and wipe it daily with brine solution. The cheese will sit out for two to three weeks as the eye formation takes place. You will notice a swelling in the center, and the sides of the cheese will become rounder. Return the cheese to your refrigerator, this time at 45°F (7°C), at 80–85 percent humidity for three months. Turn it and wipe down any surface mold on the cheese using brine solution three times a week.

Yield: 2 pounds (900 g)

Gruyère

Gruyère, which comes from the same district of Switzerland as Emmental, is best known as the key ingredient in fondue. It is also used in quiche, sandwiches, and on its own. It is simply a fantastic, versatile cheese.

INGREDIENTS

2 gallons (7.6 L) whole milk

2 tablespoons (30 ml) thermophilic mother culture, or 1/4 teaspoon (about 2 ml) thermophilic direct-set culture

1 teaspoon propionic shermanii powder dissolved in 1/4 cup (60 ml) milk

½ teaspoon (about 3 ml) liquid rennet, or 1/4 tablet dry rennet dissolved in 1/4 cup (60 ml) cool, unchlorinated water

Brine solution (see
page 86
)

TECHNIQUES

For illustrated steps and tools, see Intermediate Cheese-Making Techniques,
page 82
.

PROCEDURE

Heat the milk to 90°F (33°C), then stir in the starter culture. Add the dissolved propionic shermanii to the milk, and stir thoroughly. Cover and let the milk ripen for ten minutes at 90°F (33°C). Maintaining the target temperature of 90° F (33°C), add the diluted rennet, and stir for one minute. Cover and let it sit for forty minutes, at the largest temperature, or until you have a clean break (see
page 83
). Once you have a clean break, cut the curds into ¼" (8 mm) cubes. Maintaining the target temperature of 90°F (33°C), stir the curds for forty minutes. Use a wire balloon whisk to get the curds into a uniform shape.

Gently raise the temperature to 120°F (49°C). This should take about thirty-five minutes. Stir frequently to keep the curds from matting. Once the target temperature is reached, maintain it for thirty minutes, and continue stirring using your balloon whisk. Stir frequently using an up-anddown/twisting motion to expel as much whey as possible. Your curds will be very small and will bind together in a small ball in your hand when they are ready. Let the curds rest for five minutes at 120°F (49°C).

Pour the curds into a 2-pound (900 g) cheese-cloth-lined mold. Cover one corner of the curds with the cheese cloth, top with the follower, and press at ten pounds for fifteen minutes. Remove the cheese from the
press, and slowly unwrap the cloth. Turn the cheese over, rewrap it with the cheese cloth, and press at fifteen pounds for thirty minutes. Repeat this procedure, pressing at thirty pounds for six hours. Repeat again, pressing at fifty pounds for twelve hours.

Artisan Advice

Although you could say that all cheeses are cooked as the milk is heated, the cheeses in this section have a higher temperature applied to them during the scalding phase, typically 120°F (49°C) or higher. This process will result in a smaller, drier curd with an elastic quality.

A typical commercially produced wheel of Gruyère weighs about eighty pounds (36 kg), so needless to say, we cut this recipe down a bit!

Remove the cheese from the press, and immerse it in the brine solution. Flip the cheese occasionally, and allow it to sit in the brine for twelve hours.

Remove the cheese from the brine, pat dry, and put it on the cheese board. Store the cheese in your refrigerator at 55°F (13°C) and 85 persent humidity. Be sure to turn the cheese and wipe it down with the brine solution daily for the first two weeks, and once a week after that. Ripen the cheese in your refrigerator for eight months, minimum.

Yield: 2 pounds (900 g)

Parmesan

This is a modification of the famous Parmigiano Reggiano. People are often surprised to discover that it is made with low-fat milk because it has such an intense flavor. The secret lies in the aging, as Grana cheeses are are hard and well-suited to grating. The word grana in Italian means "grains," and refers to the gritty texture of these cheeses. This trademark texture is obtained through a lengthy aging process (a minimum of twelve months), which results in a cheese with a hard, gritty texture. For this recipe we will age the cheese for ten months, to give the cheese a younger, slightly sweeter flavor.

INGREDIENTS

2 gallons (7.6 L) low-fat milk

8 tablespoons (60 ml) thermophilic mother culture, or ¼ teaspoon (about 2 ml) thermophilic direct-set culture

1 teaspoon (5 ml) liquid rennet, or ¼ tablet dry rennet, diluted in ¼ cup (60 ml) cool, unchlorinated water

Brine solution (see
page 86
)

TECHNIQUES

For illustrated steps and tools, see Intermediate Cheese-Making Techniques,
page 82
.

PROCEDURE

Heat the milk to 90°F (33°C), then stir in the starter culture. Cover and ripen for thirty minutes. Maintaining the target temperature of 90°F (33°C), add the diluted rennet, and stir for two minutes. Cover and let sit at target temperature for forty minutes, or until you have a clean break (see
page 83
). Check by making a single cut with a curd knife, or with your finger.

Once you have a clean break, cut the curds into ¼" (6 mm) cubes. Slowly heat milk to 100°F (38°C); this should take twenty-five minutes. Stir frequently with your balloon whisk.

Take the cooking pot out of the double boiler and place it on the stove. Slowly raise the temperature to 125°F (52°C). This should take about fifteen minutes. Stir frequently with an up-and-down/twisting motion to expel as much whey as possible. The curds will have a very small grain size and will be dry to the touch and squeaky when you chew on them to test for doneness. Let the curds rest for five minutes off the heat. Cover the pot with a plate, and drain off the whey, so as to not lose any curds.

Pour the curds into a 2-pound (900 g) cheese cloth–lined mold. Cover one corner of the curds with the cheese cloth, top with the follower, and press at five pounds for fifteen minutes. Remove the cheese from press, and slowly unwrap the cloth. Turn over the cheese, rewrap it in the cloth,
and press at ten pounds for thirty minutes. Repeat this procedure, pressing at fifteen pounds for two hours. Repeat again, pressing at twenty pounds for twelve hours.

Remove the cheese from the mold, and unwrap the cheese cloth. Immerse the cheese in the brine solution. Flip the cheese occasionally, and let it sit in the brine for twenty-four hours, at 70°F (21°C).

Take the cheese out of the brine solution, pat dry, and place on a cheese board. Put the cheese in the refrigerator at 55°F (13°C) and 80–85 percent humidity for ten months. Turn the cheese daily for the first three weeks of aging, and then weekly after that. Remove any mold that forms on the exterior of the cheese with the washing solution (using a clean cloth dipped into the brine solution).

Rub with olive oil after two months to keep the cheese from drying out. Wipe the cheese with olive oil several times over a ripening period of six months to two years.

Yield: 2 pounds (900 g)