Finest Kind fontina cheese

Fontina is one of Italy’s most delicious cheeses. Made with cow milk, it has a creamy consistency and an earthy taste. If you are one of the many people who enjoy a good fontina, this recipe will fill your days with flavor. Enjoy this simple and tasty recipe of fontina cheese, brought to you straight out of Finest Kind’s own kitchen.

Equipment:

CODE	DESCRIPTION
H027	KADOVA MOULD 1 KG
H202A	10 x PH STICKS PH 3.8-5.5
H107	LAB THERMOMETER
H050	DRAINING GAUZE SQUARES

Ingredients:

CODE	DESCRIPTION
HC50STM5	STM5 DVS STARTER CULTURE
CHN22	CHN 22 DVS STARTER CULTURE
LHB02	LHB-02 DVS STARTER CULTURE
H063	50 ML LIQUID ANIMAL RENNET

Additives:

CODE	DESCRIPTION
H062	BACTERIUM LINENS
H214A	CALCIUM CHLORIDE ( includes instructions)

Milk: Milk with approx. 2.9 – 3.5% fat. Use milk not more than an hour after milking. If you need to store the milk, cool it down to 4°C as quickly as possible. Do not use cooled milk that is more than 24hrs old. Alternatively pasteurize the milk at 63°C for 30 min or 72°C for 20 sec. If you cool the milk or pasteurize it, you may have to add Calcium Chloride to get a better set..

Temperature: Adjust the milk temperature to 30 – 32°C.

Starter: The following cultures and inoculation levels are recommended
Freeze-dried: DVS ST-M5
15 – 20U per 500L
And
CHN-22
2.5 – 5U per 500L
And
Lh-B02
2.5 – 5U per 500L

Pre-ripen: Let the milk stand at 32°C for 30 – 40min. Until the pH is 6.5.

Additives: Calcium Chloride (H214) 15ml per 100L. Required only if the milk has a low calcium content resulting in a soft, sloppy curd. Potassium Nitrate (H215) 12 grams per 100L. Required only if the milk is unpasteurized. Reduces growth of unwanted bacteria.

Rennet: Use either Chr. Hansen’s Powdered Microbial Rennet (H068A) OR Liquid Microbial Rennet (H066, H067, H068) OR Liquid Animal Rennet (H063, H064, H065)
Powdered microbial rennet (H068A) 2g /100L
Liquid microbial rennet (H066 H067 H068) 4 drops /L or 25ml /100l.
Liquid animal rennet (H063 H064 H065) 4 drops/L or 25ml/100L.
Dilute the rennet in a little cool water before adding to the milk.
Stir the milk well for 5 – 10min and coagulate for 40min – 1 hour.

Cutting: Cut the curd gently into green pea to hazel nut size. Cut for 5 minutes.

Stirring: Stir the curd for 20 – 30 minutes.

Drainage: Drain off about 20 – 25% whey. The pH reading should be 6.35 – 6.40.

Washing: Add 12 – 15% water at approximately 60°C. Slowly increase the temperature to
37 – 39°C.

Stirring: Stir for 20 – 30 minutes.

Pre-pressing: Under whey depending on equipment for 10 minutes.

Moulding: Drain off all the whey, fill the mould with the curds, put the lid on and let stand upside down for a few minutes. All the curds might not fit into the mould the first time, repeat the process. Remove the cheese from the mould, wrap it in cheesecloth and place it back in the mould.

Pressing: With increasing pressure, depending on equipment, e.g. 15 min at 0.3-0.6 bar.
Or press the cheese in the H210 cheese press at 750gram for 30 minutes and then
At 1.5kg for 3 hours. Hang the weights from the groove in the arm of the press.
Or press in the tube press. The cheese must be turned and replaced in the mould at least 3 times during pressing.

Righting: Remove the moulds from the press. Remove the nets or cheesecloth from the moulds. Turn the cheese over and place back in the mould. Leave at room temperature (15-20°C) overnight.

Brining: The pH should be 5.30 °C 0.10 before brining. Make up a 16 – 18% brine solution. Leave the cheese in brine at 16 – 18°C for 24 – 54 hours depending on the size of the cheese.

500 gram – 4-8 hrs
1kg – 12-24 hrs
2kg – 48 hrs
4.5kg – 2.5 days

The pH after brining, 5.20 ± 0.05
After the salt bath, let the cheese dry.

Smearing: Make up 1 packet Bacterium linens in a salt solution of 500gr salt per 10lt cool sterile water (distilled or boiled). Smear twice on the first and third day and after the fifth day every third day.

Maturing: Place the cheese on the H050 draining gauze, in a cool place at 12°C. At the end of the first month the cheese should have a rather dry smear so that it can be packed easily. Turn the cheese once a week. Store for a total of two months at 12°C.