30 Minute Mozzarella Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my mozzarella not setting up? ›

This is usually caused by the temperature being too cool during the ripening stage (the stage just after the culture and rennet have been added). If you have let your cheese ripen for 12 hours and there is no firming up or change in the texture of your milk.

Mozzarella is Dry and Rubbery

It loses a lot of moisture during the stretching process. If it is still too dry, next time, add the rennet at a temperature 2-5 degrees lower and do less cutting and stirring before the stretching stage.

Suspended the curds above a pot of warm water or whey will also work. During this time the acidity will begin increasing. Too little acid and the curd will not stretch, too much and the mozzarella will taste sour and lack structure. While waiting, heat a pot of fresh water to 160-165F for stretching, in the next step.

With proper storage in a refrigerator, mozzarella cheese can last for up to one to two weeks. In a freezer, mozzarella cheese can last longer, up to approximately three months. If you find any change of shape, color, taste, and aroma of any part of the cheese, cut and throw away that part.

The Cultured Cheese won't Set

If the cheese (normally soft cheese) does not get firm and change in texture after you let it ferment for 12 hours, put it in a warmer place like the oven and turn on the light. Observe and check for every 3 hours and when the cheese reaches the desired consistency, drain and salt.

For Mozzarella to stretch well it needs two things: The right amount of heat to soften the curd. The right acidity (pH of approximately 5.2)

Soak the cheese: Soaking hard mozzarella cheese in cold water for 20-30 minutes can help soften it and make it easier to shred or slice. Just be sure to pat it dry before using it in a recipe. Grate the cheese finely: Grating hard mozzarella cheese as finely as possible can help it melt more evenly and smoothly.

You need to lower the moisture content of the cheese. This is done by cutting to smaller size curds, and/or by stirring longer before you drain the curds.

Rennet works quickly, as soon as it touches milk, it begins this reaction. In fact, it works so quickly and efficiently that if conditions are favorable, a small amount of rennet (a tsp) can coagulate 8 gallons of milk in less than an hour.

Unlike a Neapolitan, which uses fresh mozzarella, New York-style pizza uses grated, dry mozzarella—the kind you can get sliced on a meatball sub or wrapped in cryovac blocks near the milk.

Why is my mozzarella rubbery on pizza? ›

In Italy Fresh Mozzarella is used mainly in dishes like Caprese, and we don't cook it. Most of the domestic fresh Mozzarella that I've purchased tend to melt nicely in the oven, but tend to get rubbery if the pizza is allowed to sit more than a few minutes.

Low-moisture Mozzarella was first manufactured in dairy factories in the Midwestern United States, and was originally called "pizza cheese". Compared to standard Mozzarella, low-moisture Mozzarella has a firmer texture, is easier to grate, has better browning and melting characteristics, and is less perishable.

One gallon of milk will make 1-1.25 lbs. of mozzarella. The following recipe is for one gallon (3.78 liters) of milk. Follow the usage rates for any ingredient you place into the milk listed on the ingredient.

There are two possible causes for rubbery cheese. First, this can happen when an excess amount of rennet is used. Use a bit less rennet next time. It can also happen if cheese is overworked or overcooked, and all the butterfat runs down the drain.

In fact, it can keep for over six months in the freezer, but most experts recommend using it within the first three months of freezing, to help protect the texture and flavor of the cheese—and minimize the chances you get freezer burn on your mozzarella.

Excess Moisture Content

Another possible reason why your cheese is not melting in your pizza is that you're using fresh mozzarella. Fresh mozzarella does not melt well because it is stored in brine. Because of the high moisture content, fresh mozzarella releases water when it melts.

What's in Mozzarella Water? The liquid that mozzarella or burrata rests in keeps the cheese from drying out. It can be straight water, but more often it's salted, creating a brine that also adds saltiness to the cheese. Sometimes it's whey.

Why isn't my handmade mozzarella's texture smooth and sticky? If it's your first few times making mozzarella then it just takes time and practice. Try pulling it a little more before you turn it into a ball. It's like kneading bread the more you knead it the better it gets.