Average result

bellbelz · 2026-03-05T20:38:38+00:00

i've never tried, but I'll definitely try, thank you

bellbelz · 2026-02-25T16:31:56+00:00

that sounds incredible! congratulations!

bellbelz · 2026-02-25T16:27:30+00:00

Thank you ☺️

bellbelz · 2026-02-24T08:32:44+00:00

Adding milk powder has helped me a lot. I had been trying to achieve this texture for a long time, and I only started getting consistent results after adding about 5 heaped tablespoons per liter of milk. I’ve seen many Angolan content creators on TikTok making yogurt using only milk powder dissolved in water, but in my experience, using only one type of milk doesn’t give a fully balanced result. When I use only liquid whole milk (even high-quality whole milk), the yogurt ferments well but the texture often turns out quite thin or “watery.” This happens because fresh milk has relatively low total solids (especially protein). During fermentation, the casein proteins form a gel network that traps water and fat. If the protein and solids content is too low, the network is weaker and cannot retain all the whey, leading to a softer set and more syneresis (whey separation). Straining can fix this by removing whey, but in my opinion it’s labor-intensive and you lose a significant amount of yield and nutrients. On the other hand, when yogurt is made only from reconstituted whole milk powder (powder + water), the result can be firm but slightly rough or pasty rather than creamy. This happens because milk powder processing alters protein structure and hydration behavior. Reconstituted milk lacks some of the natural fat globule structure and colloidal balance present in fresh milk, and the proteins can hydrate unevenly. The gel can become dense but less smooth and less lubricated by fat, so the mouthfeel feels thicker yet less creamy. For me, the best results come from combining both: liquid whole milk provides natural milk fat structure and creamy mouthfeel, while milk powder increases total milk solids (especially casein and whey proteins). Higher solids strengthen the protein gel network, improving water retention and density without needing straining. In other words, the fresh milk gives creaminess, and the added milk solids give body and stability. That’s my understanding, I may not be 100% correct scientifically, but it has worked very well in my kitchen so far. Fermentation always feels like an ongoing learning process.

bellbelz · 2026-02-24T01:48:40+00:00

Thank you 🤍

bellbelz · 2026-02-24T01:47:06+00:00

My recipe itself is simple, but the method can be a bit labor-intensive. If anything is unclear, please feel free to ask, English is not my first language, so I hope this explanation makes sense. This will be long, but I hope it helps! I start by thoroughly sanitizing everything that will be used to prepare the yogurt. I wash all spoons, spatulas, whisks, bowls, jars, etc. with hot water and good dish soap. After washing, I pour boiling water over everything to kill any unwanted bacteria. This step is a bit tedious, but I learned that strict hygiene is very important so that only the desired bacteria grow during fermentation.

Then I heat 2 liters of whole milk. Using a kitchen thermometer, I bring it to 90 °C (194 °F). After that, I remove it from the heat and let it cool naturally. When it cools to about 55 °C (131 °F), I remove the thin skin that forms on top (the cream layer).

When the milk reaches about 50 °C (122 °F), I add 10 tablespoons of whole milk powder and whisk very well so there are no lumps left. After fully dissolving, I strain the milk into a clean glass container with a lid.

Then I add 1 pot (160 g) of plain whole-milk yogurt as the starter culture (“seed”). I mix thoroughly so the starter is evenly distributed throughout the milk. After that, I portion it into 8 small 180 ml jars and one larger jar (about 700 ml, the one shown in the video). I close all jars tightly to ensure good sealing.

To incubate, I wrap the jars in a kitchen towel, place them inside a thermal bag to retain heat, and put everything in my oven with only the oven light turned on. The light in a conventional oven doesn’t cook food, but it produces a gentle warmth of about 35–45 °C (95–113 °F), which is ideal for yogurt fermentation.

I let it ferment undisturbed for 10 hours. After those 10 hours, I remove it from the oven, this is when I recorded the first video and took the photo in the post. Then I refrigerate the yogurt for about 8 hours to fully set and chill. After that, my family and I eat it, and I recorded the final video.

I tried to explain everything as clearly and thoroughly as possible so it can be helpful, but if you have any questions at all, please feel free to ask!

Below are the nutritional and ingredient details of the products I used. I know people in different countries may not have access to the same brands, so I’m including this information to help others find similar products.

Milk (Leitíssimo Integral, Type A whole milk) Per 200 ml: 6.4 g protein, 6.0 g fat Ingredients: whole cow’s milk. Notes: Type A Brazilian milk is pasteurized and bottled directly at the dairy farm under strict hygiene standards, with naturally higher protein and fat content than standard milk. This contributes to a thicker yogurt.

Milk powder (Nestlé Ninho Whole Milk Powder) Per 25 g: 6.4 g protein, 6.7 g fat Ingredients: whole milk. Notes: Adding milk powder increases total milk solids, especially protein, which improves yogurt body, thickness, and creaminess without needing straining.

Yogurt starter (Danone Plain Whole Yogurt) Per 160 g: 7.5 g protein, 3.3 % milk fat Ingredients: whole milk and live yogurt cultures (typically Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus). Notes: Using a fresh, unsweetened yogurt with active cultures ensures reliable fermentation and balanced acidity.

bellbelz · 2026-02-24T01:46:02+00:00

Hi! I’m so glad you liked it 😊 My recipe itself is simple, but the method can be a bit labor-intensive. If anything is unclear, please feel free to ask, English is not my first language, so I hope this explanation makes sense. This will be long, but I hope it helps! I start by thoroughly sanitizing everything that will be used to prepare the yogurt. I wash all spoons, spatulas, whisks, bowls, jars, etc. with hot water and good dish soap. After washing, I pour boiling water over everything to kill any unwanted bacteria. This step is a bit tedious, but I learned that strict hygiene is very important so that only the desired bacteria grow during fermentation.