Homemade Yoghurt

Name: Homemade Yoghurt
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 1
Ingredients: 1 l milk; 3 tbsp greek yoghurt or plain yoghurt

1 hr 20 min

2 portions

breakfast fermented healthy

Plan this

Just two ingredients and a warm oven overnight — you wake up to a full litre of fresh, tangy yoghurt.

Instructions

1
Pour the milk into a saucepan and heat it to 82 °C, stirring constantly. A thermometer really helps here to get the temperature exact.
2
Take the pan off the heat and cool the milk down to 40–42 °C. Setting the pan in cold water speeds this up nicely.
3
Whisk the yoghurt into the lukewarm milk, then pour it into clean screw-top jars — half-litre preserving jars work great. Screw the lids on.
4
Warm the oven to 40 °C and place the jars on a tray in the middle of the oven. Leave them overnight, 8–10 hours.

Per average serving

464

Calories

kcal

38.5

Protein

51.6

Carbs

12.3

Fat

Fiber

51.6g

Sugar

456mg

Sodium

Family Portions

2portions

Adults

Children

No children added

Ingredients

milk
2 units.l
greek yoghurt or plain yoghurt
6 tbsp

Per average serving

464

Calories

kcal

38.5

Protein

51.6

Carbs

12.3

Fat

Fiber

51.6g

Sugar

456mg

Sodium

Tips from the kitchen

The 82 °C step matters more than it looks. Heating the milk that high changes the proteins so the yoghurt sets thick instead of runny. Skip it and you get thin yoghurt.
Don't rush the cooling. If you whisk the starter into milk that's hotter than 45 °C you'll kill the cultures and nothing sets. Wait until it's 40 to 42 °C, lukewarm on your wrist.
Make sure your starter yoghurt has live cultures. A plain yoghurt with nothing added works, but check it isn't a heat-treated one or you'll get no fermentation.
Resist the urge to open the oven and peek overnight. The jars need steady gentle warmth, and every time you open the door the temperature drops.
Once it's set, chill the jars before you stir them. Stirring warm yoghurt makes it loose, but a few hours in the fridge firms it back up.

Ways to vary it

For thicker, Greek-style yoghurt, line a sieve with a clean cloth and let the finished yoghurt drain in the fridge for a few hours. The whey runs off and you're left with something spoonable.
Stir a little honey or vanilla into the jars before they go in the oven if you like it sweet. Plain is fine too, this is optional.
Whole milk gives the richest set, but you can use semi-skimmed for a lighter result. Just expect it a touch thinner.

Storage & leftovers

Keeps in the fridge for about a week in the sealed jars. Save 3 tablespoons from this batch to start your next one. It doesn't freeze well, the texture goes grainy once thawed, so make it fresh and eat it cold straight from the jar.

What to serve with it

Spoon it over granola and berries for breakfast, or stir in a drizzle of honey. It also works alongside warm flatbread or with cucumber and mint as a cooling side.

By Untrained ChefPublished 1 June 2026 · Updated 11 July 2026