Making Yogurt

My favorite breakfast is a bowl of homemade yogurt and granola.  I savor each bite knowing that I had a part in making it.

To make yogurt:

1. Pour 2 quarts of milk into a large pot.  Heat milk slowly over a low flame until milk starts to foam at surface, but do not boil.  Bring milk to about 180 degrees (F) and maintain this temperature for 5 minutes.
2. Allow milk to cool to 108-112 degrees (F).
3. Place 1-2 level teaspoons of a plain yogurt starter into an ovenproof container (although I use the lazy method with a yogurt maker).  Add 2 tablespoons of your warm milk to the container and mix to create a smooth paste.  Continue to add milk to the paste, stirring slowly until all the milk has been added.
4. Place container with lid in oven near pilot light.  If there is no pilot light, wrap the container in a thick towel and let stand for 8 hours.  The yogurt maker essentially does the same thing.

In this batch of yogurt, I added vanilla beans and 2/3 cup of sugar cane crystals.

Make Your Own Yogurt illustrates clearly what you'll need and takes you through the steps to make yogurt.