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Homemade Stracciatella Cheese Recipe

Recipe by Pedro M. A. Neves

Stracciatella is a delicate, spoonable fresh cheese from Southern Italy with a creamy interior and delicate cheese curds suspended in whey-like cream. This recipe guides you through making authentic stracciatella at home using simple ingredients and basic cheesemaking techniques. The result is a tender, mild cheese perfect served warm with fresh bread or drizzled with quality olive oil.

Ingredients

• 1 liter (4.2 cups) whole milk (preferably at least 3.5% fat)
• 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) liquid rennet or 1/4 rennet tablet dissolved in 60 ml cold water
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon (pinch) lipase powder (optional, for tang)
• Water (for diluting rennet and for heating)

Instructions

1. Pour milk into a stainless steel pot and slowly heat to 35°C (95°F), stirring gently and frequently to ensure even temperature distribution. Use a reliable instant-read thermometer.

2. Add diluted liquid rennet (or dissolved rennet tablet) to the warm milk. Stir thoroughly for 1 minute in an up-and-down motion, then allow the milk to rest undisturbed for 5 minutes to allow rennet to set.

3. Cut the curd mass using a long knife in vertical parallel cuts, then horizontal cuts, then diagonal cuts to create small cube-shaped curds approximately 1 cm in size. Work slowly and carefully.

4. Slowly increase temperature to 40°C (104°F) over 5 minutes, stirring gently and continuously. Rest for 2 minutes, then increase to 44°C (111°F) over another 5 minutes.

5. Continue heating to 48°C (118°F) over 5 minutes, stirring constantly. The curds should become firm and when cut, should break cleanly without sticking together.

6. Stop heating. Let curds settle for 2 minutes. Carefully pour off approximately half of the whey (the liquid portion) into a separate container, reserving it for later use.

7. Strain the curds and remaining whey through cheesecloth-lined colander, collecting the whey in a bowl beneath. The whey will be used in the final assembly.

8. Heat the reserved whey to 90°C (194°F). Meanwhile, gently break apart the drained curds into small pieces using a fork or your hands. The curds should remain warm.

9. Slowly add pinches of the hot whey to the warm curds, stirring gently and continuously. The curds will begin to soften and stretch. Continue adding hot whey until the mixture becomes creamy and pourable, resembling soft custard.

10. Season with sea salt to taste, stirring gently. Transfer the stracciatella into small serving bowls or a ceramic dish. Serve immediately while still warm, drizzled with quality olive oil if desired.

Substitutions

• Use pasteurized milk if raw milk is unavailable; results may be slightly less rich but still excellent.
• Substitute lipase powder with 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano for a subtle herbaceous note instead of tanginess.
• Use vegetable rennet instead of animal rennet for a vegetarian version with identical results.
• If cheesecloth is unavailable, use a clean, fine-mesh cotton kitchen towel as a substitute.

Tips

• Maintain precise temperatures using a reliable thermometer; temperature swings cause inconsistent curd formation and affect final texture.
• Do not rush the curds; gentle handling throughout ensures tender, delicate cheese rather than tough, rubbery texture.
• Serve stracciatella warm for the best flavor and creamiest mouthfeel; it becomes firmer as it cools.
• Make stracciatella the same day you plan to serve it, as it is freshest within hours of preparation.

Stracciatella originates from Puglia in southern Italy, where it has been made for centuries as a variation of mozzarella. The name comes from the Italian verb stracciare, meaning to tear or shred, referring to the distinctive torn curds suspended in cream that give this cheese its characteristic texture and appearance.

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