After watching a lot of videos about cheese-making, I realised that I’m taking things too fast: heating the milk too quickly on the gas ring and then reheating it too fast to 38ºC to pitch the curds after they’ve been cut. I’ve also experimented with salting and now prefer not to salt the curd before pressing.

So here is my slow method that I used today:

Gently and slowly heat the milk to 28-29ºC.

For every 5 litres of milk, dissolve 1/4 teaspoon of powdered rennet and 1 teaspoon salt in 1 tablespoon of cold, unchlorinated water.

Add the rennet to the milk, stirring well for about a minute, making sure that the rennet has reached all parts of the milk.

Leave for 45 minutes. Test to see if the surface resists a gently touch. Your finger pad should come out clean. If it does, it is ready for cutting. If not, leave for another 15-30 minutes or so.

CUTTING THE CURDS:
With goats’ milk, cut the curds into 2cm cubes horizontally, vertically and diagonally. Then beat with a long stick until the mixture resembles cottage cheese.

PITCHING THE CURDS:
Fill the sink with hot water and put the pan with the curds in. Slowly raise the temperature to 38ºC over about 30 minutes, adding more hot water as necessary.

Using your hands break up and stir and curds around so that all parts are heated. Once the temperature of 38ºC has been reached, give the curds a fast, vigorous swirl with a wooden stick so that they will sink together in one mass.

Leave for 30 minutes, uncovered.

Line the inside of the cheese mold with the cheesecloth or muslin.

Using both hands, scoop out the curds, pressing them into a solid mass and transferring them to the cheese press.

If any curds remain in the whey, you can strain these through another piece of muslin lining a colander in the sink.

PRESSING THE CHEESE:
Put a wooden board on top and gently apply a small amount of pressure. Leave for 30 minutes, tightening the press as the liquid drains out.

Lift the cheese out of the mold and flip it 180º. Put it back onto the muslin before returning it to the cheese mold.

Leave the cheese in the mold for another 90 minutes, applying further pressure.

Take the cheese out of the mold and remove the muslin. Put it back in the mold and press for another 90 minutes.

Remove the follower (the part pressing down on the top of the cheese) from the mold and sprinkle the surface of the cheese with a handful of salt.

After 24 hours, take the cheese out of the mold, flip it 180º and salt the new top surface in the same way.

Put the cheese back in the mold and leave in the fridge on a cheese mat to drain away the excess liquid.

Turn the cheese every 24 hours. When it looks as though it will keep its form without the help of the mold, wrap the cheese in a piece of muslin and return to the fridge. Don’t forget to keep turning it every 24 hours.

In hot weather and the summer months, I place the cheese still in the mold immediately in the fridge rather than pressing it for a third time.