A Greek and His Yoghurt

Made the perfect Greek yoghurt the other day. I've found a new method which makes for a creamier and thicker consistency - heat the full-cream milk up to 82 degrees, stirring all the time, which monkeys about with the proteins and makes them more susceptible to the yoghurt's bacteria. It's then allowed to cool to about 46 degrees before adding the live starter. The kilner jar is then wrapped in a blanket for about 3 hours, where it remains surprisingly warm throughout. Check occasionally to ensure it's not separating and, if there are the signs, then shake the jar.

That in itself does not make Greek yoghurt, but it does make a creamy one. To turn it into Greek yoghurt you have to strain it, getting rid of some of the whey until you reach the desired consistency.

My first attempt was a little too hot before adding the starter, resulting in the yoghurt splitting; however, I strained off the whey in a straining bag and ended up with a cottage cheesy curd residue, about 1/4 of the volume of the original milk, that tasted vaguely of yoghurt.

The 2nd batch worked but, to make it even thicker, I added the result of the first batch of curds and blitzed it for a few minutes to homogenise it. The result, after being chilled, was the perfect consistency.