Bocconcini Cheese Making Recipe

[Tea]

I promised that I would post this recipe, and forgot to do so.  My apologies. 

10lt milk
150ml Type C starter
Rennet at 1.5ml per 10lt milk (liquid rennet) then dilute.

Bring milk to a setting temp of 40C, 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 = too firm a cheese.

Drain off the whey.  pH  6.1 - 6.2

Keep curd at 40C to cause it to fuse together.  Turn the curd every 15 mins to keep is warm, draining the whey at the same time.

After about 1 hour test the curd to see whether it is ready for stretching by placing a piece in 70C water.  When curd is warm, take out and work with fingures, stretching the cheese.  It is 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 water 70C.  Work the curd stretching it until all the curd has been worked.  Over working the curd will toughen it, as will over hot water.

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.

[Cartierusm]

Never heard of it, any pics of the making and/or pic on the web of what this is? Thanks.

[Likesspace]

Tea....
I just saw this recipe!
Thanks for posting it!
I honestly had forgotten about asking for it and I really appreciate you taking the time to do so.
Since I'm very limited in my cheese making over the next few weekends, this will be a good Sunday afternoon project. Of course that will be next Sunday since this was is already spoken for.
I really do appreciate it.
My wife and kids all love the "stretched curd" cheeses so this one will make them happy.

Dave

[Tea]

Ok Carter just saw this.  Will see what I can find.

[chilipepper]

Here is a Bocconcini WIKI link.  Looks good.  Tea, have you made this before?  If so did you have any luck with acid conversion and stretching?

Ryan

[Tea]

Thanks Chili, and yes I tried it, and no it wasn't successful, but then my last 3 tried at a mozz/prov/boc haven't been, and I am at a loss as to why.

[chilipepper]

I'm hoping to also take on another attempt at Provolone this weekend and really monitor the pH through the whole process and see if I can somehow get a handle on it.  I figure if I can monitor pH and temp at least one can have some idea of the time frame involved to get to stretching pH.  I think once you can actually get it to stretch then you can start having fun with molds and shapes!

[Tea]

I have made this successful (mozz/provolone) a number of times, and even times where I haven't been stressing about the pH, just watching the curd, but the last few times I have either lost the butter fat, or haven't been able to get the curd to stretch.
I thought that this time, if the curd is not stretching properly, I might leave it over night and see if the pH forms better, and try stretching in the morning.

[Tea]

Carter I bought some cheese today so I could show you.  I doubt this is a high quality brand, but it will give you the idea.

[chilipepper]

Tea thanks for the picts!  Were these soaked in oil?  I wonder how they preserve them and how old they are?

When you say:

I have made this successful (mozz/provolone) a number of times, and even times where I haven't been stressing about the pH, just watching the curd, but the last few times I have either lost the butter fat, or haven't been able to get the curd to stretch.

What are you seeing in the curd that 'tells' you it is ready?

Ryan

[Cartierusm]

Thanks looks like a mozz cross between..

[Tea]

Chili, boc can only be kept for a week or so, as they are not salted, so they are meant for fresh consumption.  They are kept in a very very weak salt brine.  No salt should be detected in the final product.

I have seen these marinated in herbed oil, and again they were delicious, but again they don't have a long shelf life.

I learnt to tell the curd was ready because it became shiny and satiny in look and texture.  Up to that stage the curd when broken has a grainy look to it, but I am learning that pH still seems to play a major roll in it stretching.

Carter, mozz/provolone/boc are all basically the same recipe with minor changes made during making.  From what I can see, mozz and prov and the exactly same cheese, only prov has lipase added and is aged.  Although having said that, I have seen recipes were lipase was added to mozz too, so maybe the only real difference is that prov is aged.

[Likesspace]

Tea,
The photo you posted of the "cut" cheese......are they ones that you made or is it an example of the commercial variety?
I'd really like to make a mozz. style cheese that has such a "stringy" texture.
Those really look wonderful and thanks for the information.

Dave

[Tea]

I wish they were my cheese, but sadly no, they are the bought cheese.

[Crystal]

bocconcini is baby mozz pretty much. usually the size of a cherry tomato. I'll give this recipe a go i think. it seems simple enough... except i dont have a ph thingy... lol, thingy... i dont even know what to call it!