Homemade Cottage Cheese and Whole Wheat Whey Water Bread

Alton Brown did it again. It's not often that I watched a TV cooking show and actually tried the recipe from the show. This one is just irresistible. In an episode about milk, he showed how to very easily separate curd from liquid in milk and make cottage cheese. It was worth trying just to see this happen in action and to realize I have the power to make cheese right in my kitchen.



The cheese came out dry until I added a bunch of cream/milk/and whey water back. And then it was great. I can't believe how simple it was. You basically just have to heat up a gallon of milk to 120 degree, add 3/4 cup of vinegar and watch magic happens right before your eyes.



Then just drain, wash out vinegar under cold water, and season with salt, cream and milk. I halved the recipe and got enough cheese for 2 meals.

I couldn't make myself throw away all the leftover liquid that had been perfectly good milk 5 minutes earlier. So I used a couple of cups to make no-knead bread. The result was very flavorful loaf with soft chewy texture. I will have to make more cheese just for its whey for more bread....



Ingredients

• 100 grams all-purpose flour


• 300 grams whole wheat flour


• 5 grams salt


• 2 grams instant yeast


• 350 grams whey water

Directions

1. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the whey water. Stir with a wooden spoon until everything is wet and well combined. Cover and let stand for 18 hours. The dough will be a little smelly and sour but no worries. The final product will be awesome.


2. After 18 hours of dough resting, dust a counter top generously with flour (whole wheat or white.) Dump the dough onto the counter top. Fold over itself a few times until the dough holds its shape. Form into ball.


3. Line a medium bowl with a clean kitchen towel. Sprinkle generously with bran. Plop the dough ball in there. Sprinkle with more bran. Cover and let rise for about an hour and a half.


4. 45 minutes before baking time preheat the oven to 450 degrees with a dutch oven and its cover inside.


5. When it's time, carefully uncover the dutch oven and plop the dough (bran and all) into it. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 20 to 30 minutes more or until the top is nice and brown. Let cool on a cooling rack for at least an hour before cutting.