Tete de Moine-Style Cheese

Молоко, Хлористый кальций, Мезофильная культура, Термофильная культура, Lactobacillus helveticus, Standa NSLAB LC 225, Protective starter culture LPRA, Липаза (для производства сыра), Молокосвертывающий фермент, Вода, Морская соль, Кофе, Корица

This recipe is a homemade analogue of Tête de Moine with a simplified culture scheme and a short maturation period. It retains the logic of a dense aged cheese: careful pasteurization, working with flocculation, fine curd, heating to 50 °C, pressing, and aging in a dry coating.For the recipe, it is convenient to take 10 liters of milk with a fat content of about 3.5-3.8% and a pH above 6.6. Use the dry cultures and enzyme according to the manufacturer's instructions, as the activity of different preparations varies.Milk PreparationPasteurize the milk at 72 °C for 15 seconds and cool it to 33-34 °C. Add calcium chloride at a rate of 1 g per 10 liters of milk.Add mesophilic-thermophilic starter culture ALCE LYOBAC OTC 5/6 or an equivalent, Lactobacillus helveticus, and Standa NSLAB LC 225 according to the manufacturer's norm. Optionally, add lipase and protective starter LPRA. Leave the milk with cultures for 30 minutes.Curd and Curd GrainAdd rennet so that the flocculation point is 10-15 minutes. The target pH is approximately 6.55-6.50. Use a flocculation multiplier of 2-2.5.Cut the curd into cubes of 0.5-0.7 cm, allow the curd grain to firm up, and gently stir it with a whisk. For the first 10 minutes, stir without heating, then stir for another 30-40 minutes, gradually raising the temperature to 50 °C.Leave the curd grain under the whey for 5-10 minutes to form a mass. Remove the mass with a draining cloth and transfer it to a mold. The target pH during molding is around 6.3.Pressing and SaltingPress for 60 minutes under one weight of cheese. Turn it over, press for 60 minutes under two weights of cheese. Turn it over again and press for 120 minutes under three weights of cheese.Salt the cheese at a pH of about 5.3. Without a pH meter, you can rely on the aroma: it should resemble mozzarella or sulguni before extraction. On average, it takes about 12 hours from pasteurization to salting; another option is to put the cheese in the cold for 12 hours after pressing and then salt it.For the brine, dissolve 300-350 g of salt in 1 liter of water, add 0.1 g of calcium chloride, and cool the brine to 12 °C. If possible, acidify the brine to pH 5.3. Salt for 70 minutes for every 100 g of cheese.Coating and AgingDry the cheese in the refrigerator at about 85% humidity. Rub the surface with a mixture of cocoa and cinnamon, coffee, pepper, ash, matcha tea, or another dry coating.Aging the cheese for 3-4 weeks in the chosen coating. 4-5 days before cutting, rinse the coating with salt brine and dry the cheese. The total aging period can be 4-8 weeks.

This recipe is a homemade analogue of Tête de Moine with a simplified culture scheme and a short maturation period. It retains the logic of a dense aged cheese: careful pasteurization, working with flocculation, fine curd, heating to 50 °C, pressing, and aging in a dry coating.

For the recipe, it is convenient to take 10 liters of milk with a fat content of about 3.5-3.8% and a pH above 6.6. Use the dry cultures and enzyme according to the manufacturer’s instructions, as the activity of different preparations varies.

Milk Preparation

Pasteurize the milk at 72 °C for 15 seconds and cool it to 33-34 °C. Add calcium chloride at a rate of 1 g per 10 liters of milk.

Add mesophilic-thermophilic starter culture ALCE LYOBAC OTC 5/6 or an equivalent, Lactobacillus helveticus, and Standa NSLAB LC 225 according to the manufacturer’s norm. Optionally, add lipase and protective starter LPRA. Leave the milk with cultures for 30 minutes.

Curd and Curd Grain

Add rennet so that the flocculation point is 10-15 minutes. The target pH is approximately 6.55-6.50. Use a flocculation multiplier of 2-2.5.

Cut the curd into cubes of 0.5-0.7 cm, allow the curd grain to firm up, and gently stir it with a whisk. For the first 10 minutes, stir without heating, then stir for another 30-40 minutes, gradually raising the temperature to 50 °C.

Leave the curd grain under the whey for 5-10 minutes to form a mass. Remove the mass with a draining cloth and transfer it to a mold. The target pH during molding is around 6.3.

Pressing and Salting

Press for 60 minutes under one weight of cheese. Turn it over, press for 60 minutes under two weights of cheese. Turn it over again and press for 120 minutes under three weights of cheese.

Salt the cheese at a pH of about 5.3. Without a pH meter, you can rely on the aroma: it should resemble mozzarella or sulguni before extraction. On average, it takes about 12 hours from pasteurization to salting; another option is to put the cheese in the cold for 12 hours after pressing and then salt it.

For the brine, dissolve 300-350 g of salt in 1 liter of water, add 0.1 g of calcium chloride, and cool the brine to 12 °C. If possible, acidify the brine to pH 5.3. Salt for 70 minutes for every 100 g of cheese.

Coating and Aging

Dry the cheese in the refrigerator at about 85% humidity. Rub the surface with a mixture of cocoa and cinnamon, coffee, pepper, ash, matcha tea, or another dry coating.

Aging the cheese for 3-4 weeks in the chosen coating. 4-5 days before cutting, rinse the coating with salt brine and dry the cheese. The total aging period can be 4-8 weeks.