Makes 1.5 litres (52 fl oz/6 cups) natural ‘live’ yoghurt
or 900 g (2 lb) Greek-style yoghurt (after draining)

Homemade muesli topped with thick ‘live’ yoghurt and fresh fruit may not be the breakfast of champions, but on Bruny Island it is certainly the breakfast of cheesemakers. This is a strained Greek-style yoghurt — straining increases the thickness of the yoghurt and also the protein content. Halsey is an American cheesemaker who works at the Bruny Island Cheese Co. This recipe, named after him, is one of the best we’ve tasted. We make it using full-cream (whole) milk (this can be raw milk from a farmer or unhomogenised milk from the shop) but it can also be made with skim milk. To start the fermentation, use a few spoons of commercial ‘live’ yoghurt as the starter.

1.5 litres (52 fl oz/6 cups) full-cream (whole) milk

60 g (2½ oz/¼ cup) natural ‘live’ yoghurt (see note)

muslin (cheesecloth) (optional)

Put the milk into a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring regularly to prevent it from catching on the base of the pan, until it reaches 80°C (176°F) — check using a kitchen thermometer.

Half-fill the sink with cold water and sit the pan in it, like a bain marie. Stir the milk until the temperature of the milk lowers to about 35°C (95°F).

Pour the warm milk into sterilised glass jars and evenly divide the yoghurt between the jars. Stir the contents of each jar for a couple of minutes to make sure the ingredients are well combined, then seal with tight-fitting lids.

Now you have to find something that will act as an incubator. Essentially you need to hold the temperature of the yoghurt at around 45°C (113°F) for 8–12 hours. This can be in the oven with just the pilot light left on, or on a very low setting with the door left slightly ajar. Alternatively you might try sitting the jars in a small esky with warm water or place in a large saucepan with warm water, then cover with a lid and wrap the pan in blankets (or take it to bed with you …whatever works!) — you may need to be a little bit creative and try a few different options before you get it right. Place the jars in your ‘incubator’ and leave undisturbed for a minimum of 8 hours, after which time the yoghurt should be completely set. If it is still runny, return it to the incubator for a further 4 hours.

At this point the yoghurt is ready to eat but if you prefer it a bit thicker (Greek-style), transfer it into a colander or sieve lined with a few layers of muslin, place over a bowl and let it drain for 1 hour. (If you want to make labne you need to hang it for longer — see the variation at the end of this recipe.) Return to sterilised jars, seal and refrigerate for up to 10 days.

NOTE: For your first batch, look for any yoghurt that has 'live cultures' on the label. Make sure to keep a few spoonfuls of your own yoghurt if it has turned out well, to use as your next starter culture. As long as you are making yoghurt every week, or more often, your culture will stay alive — this means that every subsequent batch becomes more of your own unique yoghurt.

VARIATION: To make labne, hang the yoghurt in the muslin-lined sieve set over a bowl for 24 hours, then drain the whey from the bowl and turn the yoghurt onto a fresh piece of muslin. Place back into the sieve over the bowl and drain for a further 24–48 hours, or until it weighs about 400 g (14 oz) — at this point it is still soft but rollable.