Stop Getting Store-Bought Yogurt: This 2-Ingredient Turkish Secret is Thicker and Better

Even though many people wish they would be able to cook any kind of food they get from the store at home, some of those (like bread) are just too complicated to prepare in an ordinary kitchen with no necessary tools. However, this doesn’t concern home-made yogurt if you make it in a Turkish way.

Just two ingredients, and you’ll get the best yogurt that tastes just like the one you usually buy in grocery stores.

Here’s what you need: 1 liter of milk, 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt (or yogurt starter).

Put 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt into a small bowl.

Heat the milk over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches 80–85°C, then remove it from the heat and let it cool to 40–45°C. To speed up the process, place the pan in a sink filled with cold water and stir occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.

Next, add a little warm milk to the yogurt and stir thoroughly until smooth, ensuring there are no lumps. Then pour this mixture back into the pan with the milk and stir gently again.

Now wrap the pot in a blanket and place it in a warm spot. Leave the yogurt to rest for 8–10 hours; do not touch or stir it.

After that, put it in the fridge for at least 2–3 hours to set.

The finished yogurt turns out thick and creamy. Set aside a few spoonfuls for the next time you make yogurt. This way, you can keep making it, storing the starter in the fridge for 5–7 days and the yogurt itself for up to 7–10 days.

There’s also another way: pour the milk into jars, place them in the oven at 50°C for 4–5 hours, then turn it off and leave them until morning. Then, just put them in the fridge.

Tip: If you want to make a thicker yogurt with a slight “cap” on top, add 4–5 tablespoons of powdered milk to the normal milk; this makes the texture even thicker and creamier.