Having tasted this cheese recently at our favorite Italian restaurant, I thought I'd look for a recipe. The attached research paper gave a clear description of the process, which I followed in my second make, using Thermo B as the appropriate starter, based on this paper. My first make was before I knew which culture to use, so I went with Thermo C as most typical of Italian cheeses. In the first make I didn't grind the saffron and the color is a nice yellow with the threads showing, as DeeJayDebi used for her Caciotta del Filetto Rosso (for which she used a mesophilic starter). Since the paper referenced ground saffron, I used that in the second make, but most of the color was lost that way, despite using about twice as many stamens ('threads') of saffron. The traditional method of production is (1) make the piacentinu and let the curd drain in its mold, (2) make ricotta from the whey, (3) recook the piacentinu in the whey. I skipped the ricotta step, although I did let the cheese drain in its mold before the recook. The research paper states the traditional drainage time as 80 min, while the research version was 45 min. with the difference due to reaching the target pH in the research version (pH 6.35-6) faster than with the traditional method. I took pH's but don't trust my meter readings now since the thing clearly went on the blink not long after.
These are young cheeses, so I hope for improvement with aging (although this cheese is generally eaten only after 60 days of aging) -- the texture is firmly squeaky, since the cheese is recooked in hot whey for up to 1.5 hours. The flavor is very mild, virtually tasteless right after making. Today (July 29), the July 5 make is buttery and developing a little piquancy; the July 12 make is buttery and without piquancy. I included the peppercorns (decreased the amount by about half after the first make since most of them fall out of the body of the cheese anyway) for authenticity -- the restaurant version had them. However, I don't think they add more than a distraction against the milk flavor. Interestingly, even though I added kid lipase to the 2nd make since the 1st make was so milk-tasting, I don't get any flavor of it in the cheese. Because I didn't like the texture and lack of flavor with the first make, I decreased the temperature of the recook from 180F to 145F at start of recook.
Would I make this cheese again? It was good enough in the restaurant to spark the desire to make it. Only if it improves greatly after a couple of months of aging, or more--we like more flavor to our cheese! The photos are of cheese taken out of vacuum sealed bags; I've got more still sealed and 1 that is cream-waxed and hard-waxed, for comparison. If I make this again, I'll try it without the recook, since I'm sure that is the source of the objectionable texture (maybe just a washed-curd approach) and lack of flavor. Authenticity is fine if you don't want to eat it or have guests who only like the blandest of foods. I'm currently testing DeeJayDebi's recipe with goat milk and Probat 222 + a bit of Flav 54, comparing calf rennet and liquid kid rennet versions (no lipase added), and then a calf rennet + kid lipase version. If these turn out as well as her review sounds, then I'd probably consider a Frankenstein version using Thermo B and this make process.
Last make:
night before cheese make--
0.5 gallons goat milk heated to 140-5 F for steeping saffron and peppercorns
1/4 tsp ground saffron (I wouldn't grind again)
2 Tablespoons mixed color peppercorns
day of make--
steeped milk with saffron and peppercorns
6.5 gallons raw Oberhasli goat milk
1/2 t. kid lipase rehydrated for ~1/2 hr. in 1/2 cup lukewarm water before use
Gradually heat milk to 93F in water bath; add 1 t. Thermo B.
Add lipase, followed by 1 1/2 tsp CaCl2 (I always use this with my goat's milk, regardless of whether pasteurized or not, stage of lactation, etc), then slightly less than 1 tsp rennet (calf, in these makes; about 20-25% more if using cow's milk).
Flocc'd in 10 min, CB in 30 min. Cut curd to 1/2" (smaller if using cow's milk). The curd was nicely firm.
Rest 10 min.
Stir 20 min while increasing temperature gradually to 100 F.
Hoop in 2 crotonese molds lined with cheesecloth, pressing lightly by hand. Drain while heating whey to 180 F over ~30 min, flipping twice. Curd pH 6.25 (wow what a plummet!). Remove cheesecloth before immersing in hot whey (145 F at start, 150F at end), to get basket impression. 90 min. soak in bath, flip in mold and drain 15 hr @ ambient (varied from 70-78F). Brine at 18% NaCl -- 3 hr/lb -- total of 12 hr; air-dry @ 50-55F for 2 days. Age @ same temp and 85-90% RH.
