Making Camembert at Home

Set up all equipment including a double boiler and sterilized camembert molds.

Prepare at least four mats for the cheese.

Insert a thermometer into the milk.

Pour in 7.6 L (2 gallons) of full cream milk.

Check the temperature; it should be around 12°C.

Add 3 m of calcium chloride to 60 m of rain water and stir it through the milk.

Heat the milk to a target temperature of 32°C (90°F).

Add penicilium candidum to the milk and let it float on top.

Add 132 of 302 of a teaspoon of mesophilic mother culture and stir well for about a minute.

Cover the mixture and let it sit for 90 minutes to ripen.

After 90 minutes, check the temperature to ensure it’s still at 32°C.

Add rennet and stir for about 1-1.5 minutes to mix it thoroughly.

Cover and let it sit for 60 minutes.

Check for a clean break by inserting a finger and pulling it up; the curd should split cleanly.

Cut the curds into 1 cm (1 inch) pieces by cutting in one direction, then the other, and finally diagonally.

Stir the curds for 15 minutes until they resemble watery cottage cheese.

Let the curds sit for another 15 minutes to settle at the bottom.

Pour off the whey until it reaches the level of the curds without straining.

Fill the camembert molds with curds, topping them up as they settle.

Let the cheese drain for an hour, optionally placing a cheeseboard on top.

Use a sushi mat to flip the molds every hour for 5 hours to help the cheese detach and shape properly.

After 5 hours, remove the mats and molds; the cheese should have shrunk and retained its shape.

Sprinkle non-iodized salt all over the surface of the cheese.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens