Fresh, cheap, and healthy homemade yoghurt. This homemade yoghurt is so simple to make and you get to decide what’s in it!

Never did I think that it would be THIS simple to make homemade yoghurt. I had been playing with the idea for a while thanks to my Women’s Heritage Sourcebook but it still seemed too complicated. I couldn’t quite wrap my head around the recipes that I’d come across. Then a friend that I was visiting was talking about how she makes homemade yoghurt and my interest was piqued again.

There is something exciting about this idea of pulling a fresh homemade batch from the fridge with the knowledge that it was made with personally picked (and high quality) ingredients. And for a fraction of the price of those fancy yoghurts sold in the supermarket!

It is also so satisfying to add yet another skill to your skillset. Ran out of yoghurt? No problem, after mastering this recipe you can whip up a new batch without having to go to the supermarket. Self-sufficiency here we come.

Now, the method that I use is a fusion of two recipes. The yoghurt recipe from the Nourishing Traditions cookbook. And an useful article by Maria Dernikos which explains how to make yoghurt with an Easiyo maker.

If you haven’t heard of the Nourishing Traditions cookbook yet, I recommend it! I bought it a couple of months ago and it is such a treasure of nourishing recipes and useful information.

I make my yoghurt with the help of an Easiyo maker because I happen to have it and it simplifies the process even more. But I will also mention how to make it without an Easiyo maker.

At the end of the post I will also share which extra step you can take to make creamy, thick Greek yoghurt.

TOOLS AND INGREDIENTS

The tools that you will need to make this yoghurt are:

A medium sized saucepan
A (wooden) spoon
A kitchen scale or measuring jug
A candy or meat thermometer
An Easiyo maker OR a shallow glass, enamel, or stainless steel container (suitable for in the oven) as well as a storage container to store the yoghurt in the fridge
If you want to make Greek yoghurt you will also need: a large sieve, medium sized bowl, and a muslin cloth

The ingredients that you will need to make this yoghurt are:

Pasteurised milk (You can choose which type of milk but I like to use whole milk. To clarify, most milks in the supermarkets in the UK are pasteurised.)
A good quality commercial plain yoghurt OR a bit from a previous batch (I like to use Yeo valley yoghurt to start it off and if a previous batch is a bit old or has accidentally been finished).

The specific measurements to make 1 litre of yoghurt (or 500 ml of Greek yoghurt) are mentioned in the printable at the end of this page.

Since a month we get our milk, eggs, and butter delivered by the local milkman. It’s something we have wanted to do for a long time to decrease plastic waste. And to increase the quality of the milk, eggs, and butter we consume.

I always like to have yoghurt on hand but don’t want to it to go to waste. So, I now make it with a pint of milk (which is 563 ml so half of the amount mentioned in the printable). I rather keep making new batches than wasting one big batch.

Jump to the end of this page.

GETTING STARTED

Start by heating the milk to 82 degrees Celsius in the saucepan. Allow the milk to heat up gradually. Stir it occasionally to prevent a skin forming on top of the milk and the milk to burn at the bottom of the saucepan. Once it reaches 82 degrees Celsius, take it off the stove and allow it to cool to 43 degrees Celsius. These temperatures are temperatures to aim for. Don’t worry if the temperature ends up a little bit higher or lower.
Once the milk has cooled down, stir in the good quality commercial plain yoghurt or a bit from a previous batch.

> If you are using an Easiyo maker. Then add water to the container holder (as you usually would when making Easiyo yoghurt). You want to make sure the temperature of this water is also around 43 degrees Celsius. Next add the yoghurt mixture to the container and close it with the lid. After, put the container in the container holder and leave it undisturbed for around 10 hours.

> If you aren’t using an Easiyo maker. Then make sure to heat the oven to 43 degrees Celsius (or just leave the oven light on). Put the yoghurt mixture in the container, cover it (with for example silver foil or a tea cloth), and put it in the oven for around 10 hours.
Once the 10 hours have passed, put the yoghurt in the fridge to chill for at least 6 hours before you eat it.
If you want to make Greek yoghurt. Then put the yoghurt in a sieve lined with muslin cloth above a bowl before you put it in the fridge. After 2-3 hours, take the yoghurt from the muslin cloth lined sieve and put it in a storage container. Next, put this storage container back in the fridge to chill for at least 6 hours before you eat it.

TIMELINE

It will take approximately 1,5 hour to heat and cool the milk. 10 hours to let the yoghurt set. And 2-3 hours to drain the yoghurt to create Greek yoghurt. We are looking at 14,5 hours at the most for the whole process.

So, if you want to ensure to have a cold, fresh batch for the next morning. Then you need to make sure to start making the yoghurt at 8:00 am if you are making Greek yoghurt. Because you will need enough time in the evening to sieve the yoghurt. You can start making the yoghurt at 9:00 am if you are making regular yoghurt.

The homemade yoghurt will last up to 2 weeks when kept in the fridge. But if you intend to use your previous yoghurt batch as a culture (so the yoghurt that you add at step 2) for your next batch, make sure that it’s not older than 7 days.

It is said that you can only re-use a previous batch 3-4 times. After that, it’s recommended to start over again with a store bought yoghurt.

There you have it. With a bit of planning, very little effort, and 1-2 pounds worth of ingredients, you can have a fresh, homemade batch of yoghurt. Over and over again.

I often have this yoghurt with some homemade granola and fruit for breakfast. I highly recommend the coco-nutty granola from I Quit Sugar. Or I use it to make homemade naan. We are a big fan of homemade curries with naan in the Munday household!

How to Make Homemade Yoghurt

Fresh, cheap, and healthy homemade yoghurt. This homemade yoghurt is so simple to make and you get to decide what's in it!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 14 30

Servings 1 litre

Equipment

A medium sized saucepan
A (wooden) spoon
A kitchen scale or a measuring jug
A candy or meat thermometer
An Easiyo maker OR a shallow glass, enamel, or stainless steel container (oven proof) as well as a storage container to store the yoghurt in the fridge
If you are making Greek yoghurt, you will also need: a large sieve, a muslin cloth, and a medium sized bowl

Ingredients

1 litre Pasteurised milk You can choose which type of milk but I like to use whole milk. To clarify, most milks in the supermarkets in the UK are pasteurised.
2 tbsp A good quality commercial plain yoghurt OR a bit from a previous batch I like to use Yeo valley yoghurt to start it off and if a previous batch is a bit old or has accidentally been finished.

Instructions

Start by heating the milk to 82 degrees Celsius in the saucepan. Allow the milk to heat up gradually. Stir it occasionally to prevent a skin forming on top of the milk and the milk to burn at the bottom of the saucepan. Once it reaches 82 degrees Celsius, take it off the stove and allow it to cool to 43 degrees Celsius. These temperatures are temperatures to aim for. Don't worry if the temperature ends up a little bit higher or lower.
Once the milk has cooled down, stir in the good quality commercial plain yoghurt or a bit from a previous batch.
> If you are using an Easiyo maker. Then add water to the container holder (as you usually would when making Easiyo yoghurt). You want to make sure the temperature of this water is also around 43 degrees Celsius. Next add the yoghurt mixture to the container and close it with the lid. After, put the container in the container holder and leave it for around 10 hours.
> If you aren't using an Easiyo maker. Then make sure to heat the oven to 43 degrees Celsius (or just leave the oven light on). Put the yoghurt mixture in the container, cover it (with for example silver foil or a tea cloth), and put it in the oven for around 10 hours.
Once the 10 hours have passed, put the yoghurt in the fridge to chill for at least 6 hours before you eat it.
If you want to make Greek yoghurt. Then put the yoghurt in a sieve lined with muslin cloth above a bowl before you put it in the fridge. After 2-3 hours, take the yoghurt from the muslin cloth lined sieve and put it in a storage container. Next, put this storage container back in the fridge to chill for at least 6 hours before you eat it.