How to make yogurt – Lebanese style

How to make yoghurt? Making yogurt yourself is really super easy and can be done without a machine. I learned it from my mom, of course – the Lebanese way. Lebanese homemade yogurt is called laban and my mother always made a huge pot full of it. We often used it to make labneh or labneh balls.

Two ingredients for Lebanese yogurt

To make your own yogurt without a machine, you only need 2 ingredients: Whole milk and yogurt. You can of course also use milk and starter cultures, but I always do it my mom’s way. Even if it sounds a bit strange to use yogurt to make yogurt, because you will need yogurt in any case… a bit confusing, but we need the bacteria.

Aaaah bacteria?! Don’t worry, bacteria are not always bad, they can also be very useful – as in this case. It’s about the lactic acid bacteria that break down the milk sugar (lactose) and turn it into lactic acid (lactate). Lactic acid is important for the fermentation process of milk and also gives it its taste.

Which yogurt is suitable as a starter culture?

First of all, it is important to clarify that you are using natural yogurt. Then it is also important to check whether it has been heat-treated or not. Heat-treated yoghurt is not suitable for making yoghurt yourself, as its yoghurt cultures are dead. You therefore need a non-heat-treated yogurt as a starter with cultures that are still alive.

And what about milk?

You can actually use any milk, regardless of its fat content. But the more fat the milk has, the creamier the yoghurt will be. That’s why my family always uses whole milk for this recipe – we like it creamy.

How to make yogurt without a machine

We have already answered the question of the right ingredients for laban. Now it’s a question of which factors are decisive for the preparation. And there are two factors: temperature and time. Of course, a few aids are also allowed and should be used, namely: a pot + lid, a thermometer and a blanket.

If you’re wondering what the blanket is needed for – we need it to keep warm. My mother actually always wrapped the pot in a warm blanket to keep it at the right temperature.

To make your own Lebanese Laban yogurt, simply follow these steps (you will find the exact instructions below in the recipe card)

1. Heat the milk in a large pan and then leave to cool slightly.

2. Remove some of the milk and mix with the yogurt.

3. Pour the yoghurt and milk mixture back into the milk pot and stir.

4. Place the pot in a warm place and wrap it with the blanket.
5. Leave the yogurt to stand for approx. 12 hours until it has thickened. The longer it stands, the thicker or firmer it becomes.

6. Decant the yogurt and place in the fridge.

Tips & tricks for delicious laban

1. You can also check the temperature with your fingers! If you can hold your finger in the warm milk and count from 1 to 9, then the milk is at the right temperature to add the yoghurt starter.
2. To cool the milk down more quickly, you can fill a bowl with water and ice cubes. Then place the milk pot on top and stir the milk until it reaches 45 °C.
3. Does the room temperature fluctuate or is it a bit cold? Then put the milk pot in the oven at 40 °C for 10-12 hours.
4. You can tell how firm the yogurt is by gently jiggling the pot.
5. Once the Lebanese yogurt has reached the right consistency, pour it into portion-sized (sterile) containers and place them in the fridge. It will keep there for about 2 weeks.

So you really don’t need to be a professional chef to make yogurt. So give this simple recipe a try. I wish you lots of fun and bon appétit.

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Recipe for making your own Lebanese-style yogurt

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You can use the homemade yogurt for the shish taouk marinade or quick spaghetti with yogurt-mint sauce. You can find more yogurt recipes in the magazine.