After tweeting last night that I was soaking some of my wheat flour to make bread this morning and making a batch of homemade yogurt, I got some comments like, “I need a good yogurt recipe!” and “What?! Soak your grains?” So I thought I’d share some tips on what works for me when it comes to homemade goodness for our family.

Yogurt: Easy, really. It all comes down to good incubation. I’ve had some successes and some flops. Here’s a recipe for making one gallon of yogurt:

In a large dutch oven, heat one gallon of whole milk to approx. 195 degrees (near boiling), stirring occasionally with a whisk. (Use a candy thermometer to test temperature.)

Pour approx. one cup of the hot milk into a separate bowl. Fill sink with cold or ice water so that you can place the hot pot in it to cool without water overflowing into the pot. Leave thermometer in the milk and cool to approx. 110-120 degrees. Whisk occasionally to speed process.

In the separate bowl of milk, whisk in: 1/2 cup or so of milk powder and 1 packet of plain gelatin (these thicken your yogurt as it incubates; I’m not a big fan of runny yogurt!). Add whatever flavorings you desire…vanilla, cinammon, a bit of sugar, etc. When this cup of liquid cools to 110-120 degrees, add approx. 1 cup of plain yogurt (any store-bought variety will do).

Once large pot has cooled to 110-120 degrees, whisk in the contents of your set-aside bowl.

Now, to incubate:

Cover and set in a 110-115 degree oven for 6-8 hours or overnight. Alternatively, wrap in towels and set in an insulated cooler. You can add hot packs on top of the pot if you have them. Set it in a warm place, like near a wood stove or heat register. I’ve also heard of people using the crock pot on low or warm setting, though I haven’t tried that yet.

Don’t let it incubate too long, or it will become more sour than you might like.

Once it seems set (a little “jiggly,”) put it into the refrigerator for 4-6 hours. You can pour off the whey if you like, or mix it in before serving.

Soaking grains: This is relatively new to me, so here’s a link from the Weston A. Price foundation on “why” to soak your grains: http://www.westonaprice.org/foodfeatures/be_kind.html. And, one of the simplest posts I’ve found to help explain how: http://just-making-noise.blogspot.com/2009/06/soaking-grains.html. It’s also a fairly simple process; you just need to plan your bread-making a bit ahead to give yourself soaking time.

For more Works for me Wednesday tips, visit Kristen at We are THAT Family.