How To Make Sous-Vide Yogurt Easily At Home

Everyone has a favorite type of yogurt. And even if we all manage to agree on one single kind, there's always the question of the brand. You might like Greek yogurt. But do you prefer Fage or Chobani? Perhaps Oikos? Why not cut out the decision-making process and make your own yogurt, incredibly easily, at home?

Our friends at ChefSteps wrote in to us this week with their approach to homemade yogurt. It all begins when you heat and stir some milk, which alters the whey proteins that help produce a finer, denser product. No additives here! After the milk cools and mixes with bacteria (a small amount of leftover live-culture yogurt), you've got yourself some homemade yogurt. Best of all, by using an easy sous-vide bath, you can create the tart treat in a matter of hours instead of days. Feel free to top it off with a variety of berries and/or some crunchy granola. Take a look at the simple procedure in the brief instructional video below.

Ingredients:

800 grams (around 3 1/2 cups) whole milk

40 grams live-culture yogurt (we use Nancy's Yogurt)

Directions:

1. Set water bath to 109°F.

2. In a pot over low heat, warm milk to 180°F. As it heats, run a spatula along the bottom of the pot to ensure there's no scalding on the bottom, but don't worry too much about overheating it. Everything's going to work out fine.

3. Remove milk from the stove and transfer to ice bath or leave at room temp to cool. You want it to wind up at or below 110°F.

4. Spoon yogurt into a bowl or pitcher. Add some of the milk to the yogurt and mix until smooth. Add the rest of the milk to the mixture and continue stirring until combined.

5. Carefully pour mixture into a large, one-liter canning jar or a bunch of small ones. Screw on lids.

6. Transfer jars to preheated water bath. Allow to incubate at least five hours. You can leave it there for a little longer if you get busy. Nothing bad will happen.

7. Transfer yogurt to the fridge and leave overnight to set.

8. Serve with granola and fruit. Mix with equal parts mango puree for a yummy creamsicle-colored lassi. Add cucumber, lemon, spices and salt for a savory raita. It's homemade yogurt, man. Enjoy it.

ChefSteps comprises a team of award-winning chefs, filmmakers, scientists, designers and engineers focused on revolutionizing the way people cook by inspiring creativity and encouraging expertise in the kitchen. The site is currently offering free online classes called Cooking Sous Vide: Getting Started and Burgers, as well as a $10 class called Cooking Sous Vide: Beyond the Basics.