Pepato

I am figuring out that I seem to have a great fondness for making hard Italian cheeses. :) This is no exception (well, Sicilian slightly more specifically).

This is normally a reduced fat sheeps milk hard cheese but as I have no ready supply of sheeps milk it is a simulated sheeps milk cheese, with added lamb lipase. One of the first I have done with an added herb (pepper, and I have made a chilli flake haloumi) so nice in terms of both learning and using existing skills.

6L unhomogenised milk (2L low fat, 4L full cream)
1/8 teaspoon lamb lipase
3ml calcium chloride
1 pkt Thermophilic starter
1/2 tablet of rennet
30ml spring water
200ml water (from the tap as you boil it anyway)
6-12 black peppercorns
26% brine solution

Method:
heat the milk slowly to 37oC
add the calcium chloride and stir for 1 minute
add starter and stir slowly for 1 minute
sit at temperature for 15 minutes
add lipase and slowly stir for 1 minute
sit at temperature for 15 minutes
dilute rennet in spring water and add to milk
stir gently from bottom to top for 1 minute
cover and let sit at temperature for 30 minutes or until a clean break
whilst the milk is sitting, boil the peppercorns in the tap water for 20 minutes
set the pot with the peppercorns aside to cool
at clean break stir the curd with a whisk into 5 mm pieces (rice sized)
very slowly heat the curd to 45oC over one hour, stir continuously to avoid matting
allow the curd to sit at temperature for 30 minutes, stirring  every 5 minutes
drain whey off to level with the curd (reserve for ricotta if desired)
add peppercorns (including the water it was boiled in) and mix well
transfer curd to a cloth lined press
press for 1 hour at 10kg
undress turn and redress
press for 12 hours at 20kg
brine for 8 hours at 10-15oC
dry for 2 or more days at room temperature
wax and age at 10-15oC for 2-12 months
turn weekly until matured

All went very well with the recipe. I made doubly sure I read it properly this time! Ended up having to wait an additional 20 minutes for a clean break, but that's not that unusual. When I boiled the peppercorns I did have to add a little more water because so much was boiling off, but I doubt that will effect the end product greatly. I intend to let this one mature until Festival (4 months) along with a lot of the others I will be making over the next while.

Montage:

Before and after the first pressing. Nicely placed peppercorn!

Turning the cheese prior to the long pressing. Love the look of the peppercorns near the surface.

More pics to come once I have brined and then waxed it. :)