I posted a Bocconcini and Scamorza Affumicata make a few years back. They are basically small balls of mozzarella used a lot in salads like antipasti and that sort of thing. Sometimes you see them in delis floating in a big bowl of brine. The Scamorza Affumicata is smoked after a bit of aging. I don't use a ph meter I use a window pane test. Not to hyjack your thread but just for clarity ...
Bocconcini and Scamorza Affumicata (pasta fileta type cheese)
Bocconcini [bohk-kohn-CHEE-nee] means small mouthfuls in Italian. They are bite-sized balls of fresh mozzarella. Bocconcini are mild in flavor and have a barely perceptible hint of salt unlike most cheeses. Bocconcini are generally sold packed in whey or water in little tubs in grocery stores.
Scamorza is another form of mozzarella but aged for a few days. It is normally pear shaped with a short neck and hung by a string. When fresh it’s called Scamorza Bianca but when smoked it’s called Scamorza Affumicata.
As both of these cheeses are made the same way you only needed to change the shape and aging time to make two distinct varieties of cheese. I didn’t change shape just made them all the same way – little balls.
This is a low temperature cheese so a pot a sink of water is all you need. Simple!
You bring the milk up to 104°F and add a thermophillic culture (could be buttermilk, I used TA-61) and mix well. Then add the rennet and wait an hour. After an the curds are cut into 1 inch cubes diagonally and left alone again for about 30 minutes to firm up. If you have a pH meter the pH should be about 6.5 - 6.6.
Keeping the curds at 104°F gently stirred for about an hour. Over stirring will make a tough cheese so be gentle and just keep the curds from sticking for now. Using a large whisk to stir and break up the curds further by pludging the whisk up and down in the curds.
After an hour drain and save the whey from the curds and maintain the 104°F as you drain. Add 1 gallon of 104°F tap water to the curds, stir gently and Flip the curds after about 15 minutes to get them to fuse together.
Drain the curds into a cheese cloth lined colander. The pH should be about 6.1 - 6.2.
Place the curds in a bowl and let them sit over night to develop to the proper acidity.
Next morning remove the cheese cloth. The pH should be about 5.0-5.4
Heat about 1 gallon of whey with about ½ cup of kosher salt or sea salt to 170°F. While the whey is heating cut the curds into large chunks or strips.
Test to see if the curds are ready by taking a small piece of curd and placing it in the heated Whey. I just use a bowl of water heated in the microwave to do a quick check.
Let it sit for a minute and stir with a fork. When the curds are ready they will stretch and fold and not break. If they are brittle wait the curds are not ready for working yet. Chances are if you waited over night they will be ready.
They should stretch like this, in long strings.
Now that you know the curds are ready add some of the chunks to the hot whey and get ready to stretch the curds.
Pull and fold the curds until you get a nice shiny mozzarella looking ball then throw the ball into a bowl of ice water to firm the balls.
When done dry the balls with paper towels and refrigerate until use. I made some balls and some strings. The kids like to pull the strings apart.
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Bocconcini
Like small balls of mozzarella
Ingredients:
1 gallons milk
1/4 teaspoon Thermophilic Type C Culture or 3 tablesppon home therophilic culture
Rennet per manufacturers instructions
Procedure:
Bring milk to a setting temp of 104°F, add starter and mix in well. Add rennet and also mix in well. Allow to set for around 50-60mins. Ph 6.5 - 6.6
Cut curds into 1 inch cubes and stand for 30 mins before stirring.
Stir very gently over the next 60 mins. The stirring will determine the softness of the cheese. Over stirring = will produce overly firm cheese.
Drain off the whey. pH 6.1 - 6.2
Keep curd at 104°F to cause it to fuse together. Turn the curd every 15 mins to keep is warm, draining the whey at the same time. Keeping the curds at 104°F gently stirred for about an hour. Over stirring will make a tough cheese so be gentle and just keep the curds from sticking for now. Using a large whisk to stir and break up the curds further by pludging the whisk up and down in the curds.
After an hour drain and save the whey from the curds and maintain the 104°F as you drain. Add 1 gallon of 104°F tap water to the curds, stir gently and Flip the curds after about 15 minutes to get them to fuse together.
Drain the curds into a cheese cloth lined colander. The pH should be about 6.1 - 6.2.
Place the curds in a bowl and let them sit over night to develop to the proper acidity.
Next morning remove the cheese cloth. The pH should be about 5.0-5.4
Heat about 1 gallon of whey with about ½ cup of kosher salt or sea salt to 170°F. While the whey is heating cut the curds into large chunks or strips.
After about 1 hour test the curd to see whether it is ready for stretching by placing a piece in 160°F whey. When curd is warm, take out and work with fingers, stretching the cheese. If it is brittle and breaks, it is not ready. pH 5.0-5.4
When curd is ready, cut into thin strips and place into hot whey 160°F. Work the curd stretching it until all the curd has been worked. Over working the curd will toughen it, as will over hot whey.
Shape the cheese by squeezing between your thumb and forefinger and pinch off ball of cheese formed.
Place in ice cold boiled water to set. A little salt can be added, but the salt should not be tasted in the final product.
This cheese can be eaten immediately or stored up to a week in the fridge. It can also be marinated in a herbed oil bath.
Edited for clarification
