Wo-homemade Mozzarella Logs Recipe

Prepare equipment

Sanitize a large stainless steel pot (at least 4 L), a slotted spoon or spider, a sharp knife, an instant-read thermometer, a 2-cup measure, a small bowl for rennet dilution, and a heatproof bowl for the hot water bath.

Warm milk and add citric acid

Pour 2 L whole milk into the pot. Stir in 45 ml citric acid solution evenly. Place the pot over medium heat and slowly heat the milk, stirring gently to prevent scorching, until it reaches 32°C (90°F).

Add rennet

Dilute 1 tsp liquid rennet in 30 ml cool, non-chlorinated water. Remove the pot from heat, gently stir in the diluted rennet for 20 seconds in an up-and-down motion, then stop stirring and allow milk to sit undisturbed for 5–10 minutes to set into a custard-like curd. The curd should give a clean break when cut.

Cut and rest curd

Once set, use a long knife to cut the curd into 1–2 cm (3/8–3/4 in) cubes. Let the cut curd rest undisturbed for 5 minutes to allow whey to separate.

Cook curd to firm it

Gently reheat the curds to 38–40°C (100–105°F) over 5–8 minutes, stirring slowly and gently to keep curds from matting. Maintain temperature for 5 minutes to firm curds further.

Remove whey and press curd

Using a slotted spoon, transfer curds into a colander lined with cheesecloth or into a large microwave-safe bowl, allowing whey to drain. If using a bowl, press curds gently with your hands or a light weight for 5 minutes to expel additional whey. Reserve whey if you want to adjust acidity later.

Heat curd for stretching

If using microwave: transfer drained curds to a microwave-safe bowl and heat 30 seconds at a time at high power, draining off any excess whey between intervals, until cheese reaches 55–60°C (131–140°F) and becomes glossy and elastic. If using hot water bath: place drained curd (in a sealed plastic bag or tightly wrapped) into the prepared hot water (70–80°C) for 5–10 minutes until it reaches the same temperature and becomes pliable. Use thermometer to confirm.

Stretch and form logs

With oiled hands (use about 2 tbs vegetable oil), pull and fold the hot curd repeatedly. Stretch into ropes by pulling and folding back on themselves until smooth, glossy, and elastic. Divide into 8 equal pieces (about 110–120 g each). Roll each piece between your oiled palms to form 12–15 cm (5–6 in) logs. If cheese is too cool to stretch, reheat briefly until pliable; if too hot, cool slightly in ice water.

Salt and cool

Sprinkle each log lightly with the 2 tsp cheese salt distributed evenly (about 1/4 tsp per log) while still warm and work the salt into the surface gently. Submerge logs briefly (30–60 seconds) in ice water to set shape and stop further stretching. Drain on a rack or paper towel.

Prepare baths: bring 1.5 L water to 70–80°C (160–175°F) in a heatproof container for the hot-water stretching method and have 1 L ice water ready for cooling. Keep water temperatures steady using a thermometer. Hot water is used for initial heating if not microwaving; ice water is used to set logs after shaping.

Oil and store: Lightly brush or rub the 2 tbs vegetable oil over finished logs to prevent sticking. Store mozzarella logs in an airtight container refrigerated submerged in lightly salted water (about 1 tsp salt per cup) for up to 5 days, or vacuum-seal and freeze for up to 2 months. To use from frozen, thaw slowly in the refrigerator and reheat briefly in hot water to regain pliability.