I've been whining to anyone who would listen about how I simply can't get Mozzarella right, and when a few litres of milk I had in the fridge started to go sour, I decided to make it into Halloumi - which I can almost do in my sleep now.
Well, see what overconfidence does?! I noticed the curd looked somehow different when it was ready to go into the hot whey (can't put my finger on what the difference was, maybe rougher looking, more cracks in it) and while I was daydreaming the whey got hotter than usual too and I just put the blocks into it without allowing it to reduce in temp. When I went to fish out the floating blocks they looked sort of... stretchy... and I pulled it a few times, till it all got together, then put it onto a cutting board and kneaded it about two or three times and put it into cold water. It is a lovely, proper ball of Mozzarella. I had some grated onto some food and it stretches and tastes lovely.
Is Mozzarella usually fairly hard when it's in it's fresh ball shape? This is, but it's easy to grate and tastes good, (though it was bland until I brined it overnight).
Now I wonder if I can duplicate this make! No make notes. Not much attention paid to what I was doing! No ph assessment. (Obviously the souring milk had become acidic though? Can you tell me if this correct, any of you experts out there?)