Mozzarella, Ricotta, and Burrata

I have been learning more about making cheese lately. I don't have a good area to age cheeses so I have mainly focused on cheeses that are eaten fresh. Luckily I have a dairy down the road that sells raw milk. Cheese can be made from pasteurized homogenized milk, but you have to add calcium chloride and more rennet. Mozzarella, Ricotta, and Burrata have many commonalities and they can all be make in the same day. You have to set aside a good part of a day to make all three.

Mozzarella

1 Gallon Raw Milk
1 to 1-1/2 tsp Citric Acid dissolved in 1/2 Cup Water
1/4 Rennet Tablet dissolved in 1/4 Cup Water

Let the milk sit on the counter until it warms up to room temperature.
Pour milk into Stainless Steel Pot with Lid
(Do Not use copper, aluminum or cast iron due to the acid)
Mix Citric Acid and Water Solution with Milk
Slowly heat the milk to 90 degrees F
(You can heat the milk on the stove with heat, or in a bath of hot water)
Add Rennet and Water solution gently mixing in with up and down motions for 30 seconds.
Cover and set aside for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes the curd should be starting to separate from the whey.
Gently cut the curd into 1/2 squares.
(There are good videos on the web about cutting curd and cheese making)
Let the Curd set another 5 minutes after cutting.
Heat to 105 over medium heat.
Remove from heat and occasionally stir for another 5-10 minutes.
Scoop the curds out the whey and strain in a cheese cloth lined colander.
(Cheese cloth is a fine muslin material, not the course weave stuff sold at the grocery store, you can also use a tea towel or t-shirt material.)
Set the Whey aside and cover you will use it later.
Fill another pan with water and heat it to 165 degrees.
Add 1/2 tsp sea salt to curds.
Start gently working curds with a your hand squeezing out whey.
Separate cheese into 4 equal sections.
With one section of cheese at a time lower the cheese into the hot water for 2 minutes.
Pull the cheese from the water and gently stretch and knead the cheese.
(A pair of rubber gloves can be worn to help keep your hand cooler)
(Its not a bad idea to have an sink or cold water to cool you hands in when they get to hot)
Work each section of cheese until it is shiny and stretchy.
You will probably have to keep dipping the cheese in the hot water to keep it hot (above 135 degrees) several times as it is worked.
Once you are happy with each section of cheese it can be placed in cold water to cool.

Ricotta

4 Cups Raw Milk
Whey left over from making Mozzarella

Let milk warm to room temperature
Heat whey to 190 degrees F
Add the 4 cups of milk to the whey
Maintain temperature for 2 minutes
Take whey off of heat
Set aside and let the whey cool to 140 degrees F.
Slowly strain the whey through a large cheese cloth lined colander.
Most of the Ricotta curd with have sunk so pouring slowly allows the clear whey to pass through the cheese cloth faster.
Let the Ricotta drain through the colander for 30 minutes.
Pick up the cheese cloth by the 4 corners to form a pouch and hang for 1 hour to drain more whey.

Burrata

Burratta is kind or a cheese dumpling with mozzarella ricotta and butter.

Ingredients
1 Cup Ricotta
1/2 Cup Shredded Mozzarella
4 Tbsp Butter
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
3 or 4 1/4 pound Mozzarella Balls
1/4 Cup Whey depending on how dry Ricotta is

Mix Ricotta, Shredded Mozzarella, and Butter
Add Whey if needed to get creamy consistency
Heat pan of water or left over whey to 160 degrees
Place one Mozzarella ball at a time into water to heat for 2 minutes
Stretch Mozzarella into round disk 1/4" - 3/8" thick
Reheat Mozzarella if it has cooled.
Place large dollop of filling in center of Mozzarella disk
Pull the edges of the disk up and seal the disk at the top around the filling
Heat the mozzarella and and form a ball
Set aside the finished Burrata and let it cool.

These will keep for about a week with refrigeration, but they are best served fresh and still warm.

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Mozzarella, Ricotta, and Burrata