Homemade Feta recipe & The Viral Baked Feta Pasta (but better)

feta cheese

🥗Healthier: goat cheese

💰Cheaper: ricotta cheese

Goat cheese offers a similar tangy flavor with fewer calories.

pine nuts

🥗Healthier: walnuts

💰Cheaper: sunflower seeds

Sunflower seeds are more affordable and provide a similar crunch.

parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grated pecorino

Nutritional yeast is a low-calorie alternative, while pecorino is often less expensive.

Boil equipment for 15 minutes and cool it to sanitize.

Weigh ingredients for easier doubling of the recipe.

Use sheep's milk for making feta, but note that any non-ultra pasteurized milk works.

Add calcium chloride if using store-bought milk for better curds.

Add lipase powder if using cow's milk for flavor enhancement.

Sprinkle cultures on the milk surface and let hydrate for 5 minutes, then stir to combine.

Cover the milk and let it ripen for about 1 hour.

Stir to combine any cream that has risen after 1 hour.

Add 0.3 g of rennet diluted in non-chlorinated water to the milk and stir for 30-45 seconds.

Cover and let it sit for about 1 hour to form curds.

Check for a clean break using a butter knife; if not clean, wait another 10 minutes and check again.

Cut curds into half-inch cubes and let them heal for 5-10 minutes.

Stir the curds gently for about 20 minutes to help them firm up.

Let curds settle to the bottom of the pot for 5-10 minutes while setting up the cheese station.

Prepare molds, cloths, and a colander for draining curds.

Transfer curds to the form, leveling off the top for even pressing.

Monitor cheese for the first 2 hours, flipping and redressing every 30 minutes.

Reserve some whey for brine while draining excess whey from the cheese.

Make an 8% brine solution using 64 g of non-iodized salt for 800 g of whey.

Test pH of brine; if too high, add vinegar to lower it.

Refrigerate brine and continue to flip and press cheese for 8 hours or overnight.

After 24 hours, decide on drying methods: dry salt, water brine, or marinate in oil with herbs.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens