Learning Objective
You will find out how to make your own homemade live yoghurt and learn about its health benefits.
![Yogurt recipe](https://thesourdoughschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Yogurt-recipe-1.jpg)
Some of the sourdough recipes that we use on the sourdough courses use yoghurt as an ingredient. It’s not hard to make yoghurt and avoids consuming a wide range of additives, including modified starches, fructose, artificial flavourings, colouring and sweeteners found in many commercially produced yoghurts.
This recipe is taken from Vanessa’s 2nd book, Food for Thought and is how we make our yoghurt here. It uses just basic equipment that most of us have in our kitchens.
Because it is live, it contains probiotic lactic acid bacteria which is helpful to your digestive system, and you get a rich and creamy set yoghurt with a slight acidic tang. Serve with a spoonful of honey, a dollop of jam or just as it is – natural and not a plastic pot insight.
Pour the milk into a saucepan and put the pan over alow heat. Stir gently, watching it carefully, until the temperature reaches 91C, which is just below boiling point. Then remove from the heat and leave until the temperature falls to 46C.
Pour the milk into a warm sterilised bowl. Whisk in the live yoghurt and the bacteria will start to work on the fresh milk and convert it into yoghurt. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and place it somewhere warm overnight. An airing cupboard or a shelf above a radiator is fine, or alternatively, you can pour it into a warmed, wide-mouthed Thermos flask and seal.
If the yoghurt is still runny in the morning, leave it wrapped up in the warm for another couple of hours. When it is the right thickness, transfer it to a sterilized container with a lid and store in the fridge; a heavy glass jar is ideal. Homemade yoghurt is not as thick as commercially produced yoghurt, so to get a thicker Greek-style set, strain it through a muslin-lined sieve over a bowl for a few hours.
The yoghurt will keep for up to two weeks in the fridge and you can use some of it to make your next batch.
Learning Outcome
You will understand that live yoghurt can nourish the gut microbiome and know how to make it.