Description

Jim Wallace's low-fat pizza mozzarella: 2 gallons mixed milk, thermophilic culture, 98 °F ripening, stretched for a drier grateable cheese that oils off less on pizza.

Recipe details

Style

Pasta filata

Country

Italy

PDO

No

Schema version

1.00

Type

Home recipe

Vegetarian

Yes

Created

2026-09-09

License

CC-BY-4.0

Author

CheeseXML 1.00 reference set

Units

US

Milk

Cow milk, Pasteurized, Not homogenized

Milk volume

2 gal

Expected yield

2 lb

Yield ratio

0.119826 ratio

Active time

90 min

Total time

4 h

Scale

For milk volume: 2 gal

Ingredients

• Whole milk, not ultra-pasteurized — 2 gal

  Role: Base milk · Kind: Whole milk

• Thermophilic culture (TM81 or C201) — 1 item

  Role: Culture · Kind: Culture

  Preparation: Time: 2 min; Instruction: Sprinkle on the milk surface and rehydrate 2 minutes before stirring in.

• Calcium chloride (for pasteurized milk) — 0.5 tsp

  Role: Mineral · Kind: Calcium chloride · Optional: Yes

  Preparation: Dilute in: 0.25 cup; Instruction: Dilute in cool non-chlorinated water before adding.

• Liquid rennet — 3.5 ml

  Role: Coagulant · Kind: Rennet

  Preparation: Dilute in: 0.25 cup; Instruction: Dilute in cool non-chlorinated water.

• Non-iodized cheese salt — 2 lb (Details: Salt: Brining; Iodized: No)

  Role: Salt · Kind: Salt

Equipment

• Heavy-bottomed pot
• Dairy thermometer
• Curd knife
• Slotted ladle
• Colander
• Heat-proof gloves
• Brine container
• pH strips or meter

Process

1. Heat milk

   Heat · Milk preparation

   Heat 2 gallons of milk (low-fat, or 1 gal whole + 1 gal low-fat, not UP) slowly to 98 °F. Add 1/2 tsp calcium chloride if pasteurized.

   Temperature: 37 °C

2. Add culture

   Step code · Ripening

   At 98 °F add the thermophilic culture, let rehydrate 2 minutes, then mix 2 minutes.

   Temperature: 37 °C · Time: 2 min · Addition: Amount: 1 item; Rest: 2 min

3. Add CaCl₂

   Step code · Calcium correction

   Dissolve calcium chloride in clean water and stir into pasteurized milk.

   Addition: Amount: 0.5 tsp; Dilute in: 0.25 cup

4. Rennet

   Step code · Coagulation

   Add 3–4 ml single-strength liquid rennet diluted in cool water. Stir, rest until a clean break.

   Time: 30 min · Addition: Amount: 3.5 ml; Dilute in: 0.25 cup

5. Cut and cook

   Cut · Cutting

   Cut the curd, stir and raise temperature following Wallace's pizza-mozzarella cook to firm a low-moisture curd.

   Size: 15 mm · Curd cuts: Cut: Size: 15 mm; Wait: 5 min; Cut: Size: 15 mm · Settle: Duration: 5 min

6. Stretch

   Step code · Stretching

   When the curd stretches, work it in hot water, form loaves, and brine in a saturated brine.

   Temperature: 77 °C · Brining: Saturated: Yes; Water: 1 gal; Salt: 2.25 lb; Calcium chloride: 1 tbsp; Acid: 1 tsp; Temperature: 12 °C; Duration: 2 h · Until: Ready to stretch · Stretching water: Temperature: 77 °C

Storage

Temperature: 4 °C; Shelf life: 14 d

Allergens

Allergen: Milk

Safety

Use milk that is not ultra-pasteurized. Pasteurize unknown raw milk. Sanitize equipment.

Source

Title: Mozzarella (Pizza) Recipe; Creator: Jim Wallace / New England Cheesemaking Supply; Year: 2022; URL: https://cheesemaking.com/products/mozzarella-pizza-recipe

Tags

Tag: Vegetarian