How to Make Brie Cheese
Traditional Brie cheese is made in a specific French region known as Seine-et-Marne. It has a smooth creamy flavor and an edible rind not found in many other cheeses. Brie can be made at home using either cow or goat milk. Crucial to making Brie is Flora Danica starter and white mold, which can be purchased at a cheese making supply house. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 2 quarts whole milk
- 8 quart stainless steel stockpot with cover
- Cheese thermometer
- 2 ounces prepared Flora Danica starter
- Liquid rennet
- Water
- Long handled spoon
- Long bladed knife
- Ladle
- Cheese mold
- 2 cheese mats
- 2 cheese boards
- 1 package White mold, re-hydrated
- Cheese Salt
Instructions
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Making Brie
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1
Heat the milk to 86 degrees F in the stainless steel stockpot. Use a cheese thermometer to determine when the milk has reached the desired temperature.
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2
Add the 2 ounces of prepared Flora Danica starter to the milk. Stir to distribute the starter throughout. Cover and keep the milk temperature steady at 86 degrees F for 15 minutes.
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3
Dilute 3 drops of rennet into 1/4 cup of cool water. Pour into the milk and stir with an up and down motion of the spoon. Cover and keep at 86 degrees F for 3 hours.
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4
Use the long knife to cut the curds in 1/2 inch cubes.
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5
Cover a cheese board with a cheese mat and center a Brie mold in the middle.
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6
Drain away as much of the whey in the stockpot as possible without disturbing the curds. Gently ladle the curds into the Brie cheese mold attempting to keep the level as even as possible.
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7
Place the second cheese mat over the cheese mold and cover with the second cheese board. Allow the curds to drain overnight.
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8
Flip the entire cheese board setup over. Remove the top board and gently remove the mat from the cheese if it is stuck. Replace the mat and board and allow the cheese to sit for another day.
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9
Remove the cheese from the mold and lay on the cheese mat. Carefully rub cheese salt on the top and sides of the Brie cheese round. Let rest for 3 hours, turn and salt the bottom of the Brie.
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10
Spray the re-hydrated white mold on all surfaces of the cheese. Allow the cheese to dry at a temperature of 55 degrees F for 1 week. After the traditional white mold begins to appear, age the cheese at 50 degree F for 3 to 5 months.
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1
Tips & Warnings
The crisper section of your refrigerator, if it has a separate temperature control, can be a good place to age cheese. Always work with clean, sterile equipment. While cheese is dependent on molds and specific bacteria to become the desired finished product, you do not want to introduce unwanted bacteria into your cheese.
