Actually, I'm wondering if the Prop.Shermi should be left out. Bitto doesn't have eyes, and it is treated with a wash to form a b.linens schmeir rind (see Alp's wonderful threads on how to do this in the swiss board). Also, the lipase could be upped in this one a bit.
Regardless, this is a good cheese as is. I might try tweaking a few bits on the next make, but this is a really good starting point.
- Jeff
Hmm, now as I read even more on this cheese, perhaps the small eyes are ok? In the following, it mentions that, when young, it has small eyes like a bird's eye pattern, which fill in as the paste ages (fills up with a dense liquid apparently). Still, all the images I've seen are very flat disk cheeses (around 7 - 10 kg disks), with no signs of large swelling. My general inclination though, is that perhaps the Pro. Shermi is not required if you have raw milk, which will have a more diverse collection of natural micro flora. A very small amount is probably ok here, but I'm now thinking the dry salting method, and a schmeir rind, is probably the way to go; especially if you can make a larger wheel than I.
http://www.cookipedia.co.uk/recipes_wiki/Bitto_Valtellina_cheese