Make your own Greek yogurt

it effects the sour the most giving the SD a deeper sour.  I haven't noticed a change in fermentaion since most of my breads are at least 3 hours on the bench for S&F until they double (that is the key I think - how ever long it takes to double) and then in the fridge for 20 hours or retardation anyway.  Never thought about the texture but I'm guessing not much changes or I would have noticed it.  It is the taste that changes.  I hate throwing anything away.  I hear you can make ricotta from it too, like you do from making mozzerella,  but I haven't done so from yogurt. 

I take 1 qt of non fat milk, add 1/3 C of non fat dry milk powder and cook it on high, stirring constantly, until it reaches 185 F.  Then I take it off the heat and cool it in an ice water bath by sicking the pot in a larger bowl with ice in the bowl.  When the temperature drops to 118, I add in 3 T of yogurt that has an active culture on the lable.  Ahead of time I set up a wood cutting board with a heating pad set to medium and 2 kitchen towels on top of the heating pad.  I set my thermometer on the towels, set the pot of 110 F future yogurt (now with a lid on the thermometer and cover the whole shebang with a thick folded over bath towel.  I let it mature for 12 hours and then drain it off in colander that has a paper towel in the bottom and the pot use to cook the milk underneath to catch the whey.  I cover the colander with plastic and put the pot, colander, yogurt mix into the fridge to drip away overnight.  In the morning you have what is in my picture above.  A pot of whey and about 3/4th of a quart of Greek yogurt.   I will post some other pictures soon since I have them somewhere.

You can also buy a quart of regular yogurt from the store, drain it off in the fridge in a colander with a paper towel in the bottom and end up with Greek yogurt and the whey water for bread.  I usually dilute the whey water with spring water for bread too.

Happy yogurting and baking!!

in some newer bread machines too - ones that have the yogurt cycle or instructions on how to do it with their machine.