How to make homemade yogurt with or without a yogurt maker ?

Making yogurt at home is a rewarding experience, whether you have a yogurt maker or not. It is a culinary adventure accessible to everyone, offering the possibility of creating a delicious, healthy and personalized product according to their preferences. Whether you opt for the traditional method without a yogurt maker or choose the practicality of this specific device, making homemade yogurt promises an enriching taste adventure.

About homemade yogurt

Homemade yogurt is a dairy preparation made from the fermentation of milk, generally from cow, goat or sheep. This process transforms lactose in milk into lactic acid through the action of lactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. By consulting this review, you will find out more.

This fermentation gives the yogurt its creamy texture and its characteristic taste. The homemade yogurt recipe offers unrivaled flexibility, allowing you to choose the type of milk used (whole, skimmed, vegetable) and adjust the fermentation time to obtain a firmer or smoother consistency.

Whether you opt for the classic method without a yogurt maker, where the milk-bacteria mixture is left to ferment in a warm place, or you use a yogurt maker to simplify the process by controlling the temperature, making homemade yogurt allows you to enjoy a fresh product, free of additives and customizable according to individual preferences in texture and flavor.

Essential materials

• Pan ; 
• Cooking thermometer ; 
• Wooden spoon. In order to ferment yogurt, it is very important to keep it warm, that is to say around 42°C. There are several ways to do this : 
• Yogurt maker ; •Oven off with light on ; 
• Pressure cooker in “yogurt” mode ; 
• Cooler filled with hot water bottles ;

To learn more about these different options, see the section on how to make yogurt without a yogurt maker.

The necessary ingredients

• 2 L milk ; 
• 10 g yogurt culture (or 2 tbsp. Homemade or store-bought yogurt) ; 
• ½ cup powdered milk (to make yogurt thicker) (or 1 sachet of gelatin, about 7g).

Step 1 : Preparing the milk

Start by pouring the milk into a saucepan. If desired, add and mix powdered milk thoroughly. Heat the milk gently until it reaches 82°C (180°F) or boiling. Be sure to stir occasionally with a wooden spoon to prevent the milk from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Once the milk has reached the temperature of 82°C (180°F), remove it from the heat and let it cool until it reaches a temperature between 42-44°C (108-112°F). To speed up the cooling process, immerse the pan in a sink filled with ice water.

If you opt to use gelatin, dissolve the gelatin packet in a small bowl with a little milk, let it swell, then mix it carefully with the rest of the milk. Heating the milk before fermentation has the effect of transforming the proteins, creating a denser, creamier yogurt. This initial step is crucial to ensuring the desired consistency and texture in your homemade yogurt.

Step 2 : Fermenting the yogurt

•Add the culture or yogurt to a small amount of warmed milk, and mix well ; •Pour in the rest of the milk. Stir well to distribute the ferments in the milk ; •Pour the inoculated milk into one or more containers. Close, and place in the yogurt maker or in the chosen incubator (oven off, pressure cooker, cooler, etc.) ; •Leave to incubate for 4 to 8 hours. The fermentation speed varies depending on the temperature and incubation method. The longer the incubation, the firmer and more acidic the yogurt will be.

Step 3 : Rest and Flavoring

• Remove the yogurt from the incubator and let cool on the counter for an hour ; 
• Place in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight. The yogurt will thicken as it cools ; 
• Save a few tablespoons of this yogurt for your next recipe ; 
• Flavor to your taste, and enjoy ; 
• Yogurt will keep for about two weeks in the refrigerator.

How to make yogurt without a yogurt maker ?

If you don’t have a yogurt maker, an alternative is to place your yogurt pots in your turned off oven while leaving the oven light on to create a slight heat source. During fermentation, monitor the temperature carefully ; If necessary, open the oven door ajar or place a bowl of boiling water inside to maintain heat.

For additional ideas, check out our detailed article on making homemade yogurt without using a yogurt maker. If the idea of caring for your yogurt throughout the process doesn’t appeal to you, turn to cultures such as viili or matsoni. These cultures are considered “mesophilic” and do not need a yogurt maker or heat to ferment. You can make yogurt at room temperature, right on your kitchen counter. For more information, see our article dedicated to mesophilic yogurts, offering a convenient, no-fuss alternative to creating your own homemade yogurt.