Cheese Making: The First Four Cheeses

Mozzarella and halloumi start with 4 litres of milk, and you need room to stir and cut curds without slopping whey over the hob. Stainless steel matters: aluminium and unlined copper react with the acid. If you already own a big stock pot, you're done. Non-stick is fine too.

The single non-negotiable tool. Rennet works in a narrow band around 32°C, curds are cooked at 40°C, and the mozzarella stretch happens at 60–65°C. None of these can be judged by eye, and 5°C in the wrong direction is the difference between cheese and expensive hot milk. A basic probe thermometer is fine; a dairy thermometer that clips to the pan is a small luxury.

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For draining curds and straining labneh. Buy proper butter muslin or cheesecloth with a reasonably fine weave: the loose-woven craft stuff lets half your curds through. A clean cotton tea towel (not terry cloth) works in a pinch. Wash it straight after use, before the whey dries in.

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The acid that sets mozzarella. Sold as a white powder, sometimes shelved with home brewing or baking supplies. A 250g bag lasts for a dozen batches. Check the label says food grade: the descaling kind is the same chemical at a purity you don't want to eat.

The enzyme that sets mozzarella and halloumi. Liquid vegetarian rennet, made by fermentation rather than from calf stomachs, is what most UK suppliers sell for home use and it works identically for these cheeses. A 50ml bottle uses about 1ml per batch, so it will outlast your enthusiasm. Keep it in the fridge and check the date; old rennet weakens and gives a feeble set.

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Ordinary table salt contains anticaking agents and sometimes iodine, both of which can leave a bitter edge and cloud your brine. Any fine sea salt with one ingredient on the label (salt) is exactly the same thing as cheese salt, usually cheaper.

All from the kitchen you already have. The knife needs to reach the bottom of the pan to cut curds. A second, smaller pan is useful for the mozzarella hot-water bath but not essential.