I started making yogurt a few years ago, and immediately wondered why it took me so long to make this seemingly-mysterious-but-actually-simple homemade staple. You can file this recipe away with hummus, pizza dough, granola, and every other expensive store bought food that is actually super cheap and easy to make at home. 
All it takes to make a big pot of yogurt at home is milk, yogurt, heat, and time. I always opt for the highest quality milk I can find, which usually leads me somewhere in the realm of local, organic, grass-fed milk. I love Mapleline Farm and Kimball Brook Farm because they are close to home, but whatever you have access to is great. Even with the additional cost of buying the best quality milk (which I totally think is worth it, btw) you’re still saving about 50% on the cost of yogurt. We usually buy a quart of yogurt for $3-4, but can make a whole gallon for less than $7. If the cost isn’t a selling point, the sheer magic of tucking away a big pot of milk and coming back to thick, luxurious yogurt, should be. I know my perception of what’s fun in the food world is a little skewed, but I’m telling you: yogurt is fun to make. 
So here’s how it works. Warm a gallon of milk in a large pot with a lid until just under boiling. Let it cool until it’s warm but not hot, and whisk in a little yogurt to get it started. Put the lid on and tuck the pot of milk into a cold oven for anywhere from 10-20+ hours, or in a sunny spot in the house for the same amount of time. Don’t jostle it, don’t stir it, don’t even talk to it too much (a gentle lullaby might be fine, but don’t push it). Just let the milk and the yogurt get acquainted, and once it’s thickened up stick the pot into the fridge to chill. I’m lazy and usually just spoon it straight out of the pot from the fridge, but you could certainly transfer the yogurt to large containers or mason jars for storage. 
I usually let my schedule and the time of year dictate how long the yogurt sits (Brews? Ferments? Yogifies?). If it’s cold in the house the yogurt can take up to 24 hours to thicken. If it’s a warm summer day, it might be done in just 10. Either way, the live cultures in the yogurt will keep it from spoiling at room temperature, so you’re safe even if you forget about it for a few extra hours.
I usually enjoy yogurt plain with a variety of toppings like fruit, nuts, granola, etc. If you’re a fruit-on-the-bottom lover you could make little homemade yogurt cups in pint jars with some jam or mashed fruit at the bottom. You can even strain it over a bowl in a double layer of cheesecloth or in a nut milk bag to get a thick, Greek-style yogurt; save the whey that drains off for baking muffins and bread. 
While I’ve managed to write you over 600 words about this yogurt, don’t let my long-winded explanation lead you to think homemade yogurt is complicated. It’s not, I promise. Just like my Seeded Whole Grain Bread, this is one of those recipes you should put together right now; don’t think about it, don’t file it away for another day, just do it. It takes time, but once you’ve experienced the wonder of homemade yogurt, you won’t want to go back to the store bought version. Make a big pot of yogurt today and you can be enjoying a bowl for breakfast this weekend! Leave me a comment below to tell me how it turns out, or tag me #bakedgreens on Instagram so I can see all your yogurt bowls in action!
Homemade Yogurt
Ingredients
- 1 Gallon of Whole Milk* grass-fed + organic, if possible
- 2 single-serving containers of plain store bought yogurt 8-10 ounces, or about 1 heaping cup of yogurt
Instructions
- 1. Pour milk into a large pot with a lid. Put pot onto the stove over medium-low heat, and warm just until hot. Do not bring milk to a boil.
- 2. Turn off the heat and let milk cool, uncovered, until it is warm to the touch but no longer hot (about 15 minutes). This step may seem redundant, but helps the yogurt maintain it's texture and jump starts the fermentation process.
- 3. Empty the yogurt into a small bowl and add a ladle-full of the warm milk to the yogurt. Stir/whisk to fully combine, then pour the thinned yogurt into the pot of warm milk and stir to incorporate it.
- 4. Cover the pot and put it in a relatively warm place for 12-20+ hours. A cold oven with the light on helps keep the pot warm, or alternately a warm spot in your house will work (near a heater/vent, in a sunny spot, etc). Do not stir the pot while it turns into yogurt. Just let it be.
- 5. After about 10 hours, open the lid and gently jiggle the pot to see if the yogurt is thick yet. If it looks like yogurt, it's done. If it still looks thin/ like it's just milk, cover it and let it sit for up to 10 more hours. This works well overnight, or all day while you're at work.
- 6. When the yogurt is done, transfer the pot to the fridge and cool completely. Once cold, enjoy it however you use store bought yogurt. You can also transfer it to smaller containers if the pot is too large for your fridge. Yogurt keep for up to 2 weeks in the fridge, or until the expiration date of your gallon of milk.
- 7. Save 1 cup of your homemade yogurt to use as the starter for your next batch!