Camembert
Camembert is probably the most well-known representative of bloomy rind cheeses. It is the first thing that comes to mind when we see a cheese with white mold, and it is what we compare other cheeses of this type to. Camembert cheese undoubtedly deserves its fame.
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The original Camembert de Normandie AOC cheese is produced in Normandy, France. Only unpasteurized milk can be used for production. The AOC designation can only be given to cheese that meets the requirements of production and origin. Today, many producers, even in France, make Camembert cheese from pasteurized milk, and although it will not receive the AOC designation, it is still worth sinning.
Making Camembert cheese at home, contrary to appearances, is not particularly difficult. The recipe for the cheese and the production process does not require us to have extensive knowledge, provided that we stick to the recipe and at least at the beginning of our adventure with homemade cheesemaking, we do not modify the recipes on our own. Ordinary home refrigerator is sufficient for maturing, provided it has a temperature of no less than 6 degrees celsius. We can maintain high humidity, which is needed for our cheese to be covered with beautiful white mold, in a closed container where we put our cheese.
Below you will find a recipe for homemade Camembert cheese.
To make Camembert cheese you will need
5 liters of high-quality raw or pasteurized milk (more about pasteurisation here)
1 ml of calcium chloride for pasteurized milk
Mesophilic cultures according to the manufacturer's dosage
Penicillium candidum mold cultures according to the manufacturer's dosage
Optionally, half the dose of Geotrichum candidum.
Rennet (calf or microbial) i used 1 ml of calf rennet with a strength of 260 IMCU
Optionally, non-chlorinated or spring water to dilute calcium chloride and rennet.
Recipe for homemade Camembert cheese
Add calcium chloride to the milk, mix well, and heat it up to 30°C, stirring constantly to avoid scorching the milk.
If using unpasteurized milk, calcium chloride can be skipped.
At 30°C, add the bacteria cultures according to the manufacturer's dosage and the Penicillium candidum mold cultures. Optionally, add half the dose of Geotrichum candidium.
Mix the cultures thoroughly to distribute them evenly throughout the milk.
Leave the milk to acidify for 60 minutes.
After 60 minutes, heat the milk to 32°C.
When the milk reaches 32°C, add the measured rennet, preferably diluted with non-chlorinated or spring water.
Mix the rennet for about a minute or two, then calm the milk by holding a spoon in it to stop the swirl effect.
Leave the milk to form a strong curd under cover for about 45-60 minutes.
If the curd is still weak after 45 minutes, add another 10 minutes and check again.
Cut the curd into approximately 2 cm cubes.
Leave the curd to strengthen for 5-10 minutes. The curd will start releasing some whey.
Gently transfer the curd to high forms.
For 5 liters of milk, two forms with a diameter of 12 cm and a height of 13.5 cm can be used.
Optionally, stir the curd for a few minutes before transferring it to the forms to release some whey and help the curd settle faster.
Leave the cheese to drain at room temperature.
Turn the cheese in the form when it has settled by about 1/3.
This will take from an hour to several hours, depending on the room temperature - the higher the temperature, the faster the cheese will release whey.
To turn the cheese, place a mat on the top of the form and turn the form with the cheese.
Leave the turned cheese in the form for 2-3 hours.
After 2-3 hours, turn the cheese again. If the cheese has not settled nicely in the form after turning, gently press it down with your hands.
Leave the cheese in the form for 24 hours at room temperature.
After 24 hours, dry-salt the cheeses.
Add 2,5% salt by weight of the cheese, divided into two portions:
take the cheeses out of the molds and weigh them.
Prepare the appropriate amount of salt (2,5% = 2,5g of salt per 100g of cheese).
Divide the salt in half and sprinkle one half onto the cheeses and rub it in on all sides.
Place the cheeses on a draining rack and leave them for 6-8 hours to absorb the salt.
After a few hours, we repeat the salting process with the remaining salt and leave them on the rack for a few more hours.
During the salting process, the cheeses are kept at room temperature.
Once salted, transfer the cheeses to a cheesemaking mat and place them in a sealed container.
If they are still very wet, gently pat them dry with a paper towel. Then move the container to a fridge with a temperature of at least 6*C.
For the first 2-3 days, do not cover the container to allow the cheeses to slightly dry out.
After 2-3 days, cover the container and make a few holes in the lid to ensure minimal airflow.
This will create a humidity of around 90-95%, which is ideal for growing a beautiful white mold on our Camembert.
The cheeses must now mature for a minimum of 3-4 weeks.
Keep them in the container and turn them daily or at least once every 2-3 days.
After about a week, you should see a light growth of white mold on the surface and the cheeses will start to smell slightly fruity.
From the moment you see the first signs of mold growth, you will see your cheese change almost overnight.
Once the cheeses are completely covered in white mold - after about 15-20 days - you can wrap them in special paper for this type of cheese and leave them to mature further.
At this stage, they will still be somewhat hard, but over time, you will see them become softer from the rind.
If you don't want to wrap the cheeses in paper, you can let them continue to mature in the container until you feel they are ready.
Personally, I always wrap such cheeses in paper because then you don't need to keep them in the container and they take up less space. Additionally, the paper provides the right humidity for the maturing cheeses.
The whole process may seem complicated, but I assure you that the hardest part is just getting started. Once you have the milk in the pot, just follow the recipe. Homemade Camembert is delicious and much more aromatic and tasty than most of the Camembert cheeses produced by large dairy factories.
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