I made Gavin Webber's Bel Paese as my second cheese. It turned out fantastic, So moist and creamy. So delicious. Given that cheese all start out pretty much the same way and involve the same steps .. what is it about the Bel Paese make that make it a creamy cheese? Gavin's recipe had 1/4 tsp ThermoPhilic Culture, 1/2 tsp CaCl2 and 1/2 tsp rennet to 2 gallons of milk. Heat milk to 108, add CaCl2, add culture. Let sit 5minutes, stir, add rennet (no ripening time), stir, let sit 40 minutes, cut. Stir at 108F for 30 minutes, very small curds, drain off whey put into mold. Why did this create a creamy supple cheese? I am interested in how all these things interplay and affect the final product. Thanks
I think its got to do with its fairly high moisture content (its unpressed), pH probably in the 5.1-5.4 range and the butterfat content of the milk (the higher, the creamier).