Easy Homemade Yogurt With a Dutch Oven
Making your own yogurt at home is easier than you might think! In this recipe, I’ll show you how to make your own homemade yogurt using a Dutch oven. Don’t have a Dutch oven? No worries, check my recipe here to make yogurt with an Instant Pot.
To make yogurt, there are two simple methods:
- Add a yogurt starter to milk, then warm it for a few hours.
- Add a few tablespoons of (leftover) yogurt to milk, and again, warm it for a few hours.
Both methods yield creamy, delicious yogurt that you’ll love.
Save this recipe for later!
Choosing Your Yogurt-Making Style
When using the first method, you can choose from a wide variety of yogurt starters to create your favorite style of yogurt. Whether you love Nordic varieties like Skyr, Viili, or Filmjölk, or prefer Greek or Bulgarian-style yogurt, there’s a starter for you!
If you have a store-bought favorite, you can try the second method. Just make sure the label includes the phrase “Live Active Yogurt Cultures,” which ensures the yogurt contains the active bacteria needed for fermentation. Simply save a couple of tablespoons of your favorite yogurt and mix it with milk to start your own batch.
Using Raw Milk for Homemade Yogurt
I love using raw milk for my yogurt. It often creates a slightly runnier texture, but that’s an easy fix. Just strain the yogurt through a cheesecloth, a yogurt-straining bag, or a clean tea towel to make it thicker, like Greek yogurt.
Some recipes suggest boiling the milk before making yogurt, but I skip this step. By skipping this step, I can preserve as much of the milk’s natural, beneficial bacteria as possible.
Using Whey in the Next Batch
If you’ve strained your yogurt, use 1/2 cup of whey to make a new batch of yogurt. The cultures needed to make new yogurt are all present in the whey that you’ve strained. This way you don’t have to keep some of your yogurt apart for the next batch.
Adding Flavor to Your Yogurt
Once your yogurt is ready, you can customize it however you like. Just wait until the fermentation process is complete before adding any flavors.
Here are a few delicious options:
- Sweeteners like honey or maple syrup
- Fresh fruit juice
- Chocolate
- Vanilla extract
How to Make Homemade Yogurt
Supplies you’ll need
- A Dutch oven
- Thermometer
- Optional: A cheesecloth bag or yogurt-straining bag
Ingredients
How to Cook
Be sure your materials are clean, you don’t want to grow the bad bacteria or fungi that may be lingering in your Dutch oven or container.
Start by pouring the milk into the Dutch oven and attaching a thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature. Heat the milk gently to 113°F (45°C), making sure not to let it go above this point. Once it reaches the right temperature, add your leftover yogurt or yogurt starter and stir it well into the milk.
The trickiest part of this method is maintaining a steady temperature between 106 and 113°F (41–45°C) for at least 8 hours. If the temperature fluctuates too much, the yogurt may not set properly.
To make this easier, you can place the Dutch oven in your oven and use the “lights on-only” function. This keeps the temperature steady and warm enough for fermentation. Just make sure it’s not an LED light, as those won’t generate the necessary heat.
Alternatively, you can use a dehydrator to hold the temperature steady. Simply transfer the milk and starter mixture to a glass container, set the dehydrator to 108°F (42°C), and let it do its thing.
Store the yogurt in the fridge in a container for up to 10 days.
Homemade Yogurt With a Dutch Oven
With this recipe, you can make your own yogurt from scratch. You'll only need a Dutch oven, some milk, and a bit of leftover yogurt or yogurt starter.
Ingredients
- 1 liter of milk
- Either ½ a cup of yogurt or a yogurt starter
Instructions
- Pour 1 liter of milk into the Dutch oven and attach a thermometer to monitor the temperature.
- Heat the milk gently to 113 °F (45 °C), being careful not to exceed this temperature.
- Stir in ½ a cup of leftover yogurt or yogurt starter until fully combined.
- Maintain a temperature between 106 and 113 °F (41–45 °C) for at least 8 hours to allow the yogurt to set.
Notes
- Place the Dutch oven in your oven and use the "lights on-only" function to keep the temperature steady. Avoid using an LED oven light, as it won’t generate enough warmth.
- Alternatively, if you have one, use a dehydrator. Pour the milk and starter mixture into a glass container, set the dehydrator to 108°F (42°C), and let it maintain the temperature for fermentation.
- Use a yogurt maker. A yogurt maker isn't super expensive, so if you plan on making a lot of yogurt this may be an investment that will pay itself in return fairly quickly!
- Storage: Keep the yogurt in the fridge for up to 10 days.
