My fascination with fermentation led to making yogurt at home. I am not going to claim that homemade yogurt is far more delicious than storebought, but I do control the ingredients and processing.
Use an instant-read thermometer for success.
After reading a lot about how easy it is to make yogurt at home with blankets draped around bowls of milk or in an oven with the light on, I went in a different direction. Amazon sent a Dash Greek Yogurt Maker for $25.99. It is very easy indeed and the recipe below is adapted from the user manual that came with the yogurt maker.
5 cups organic whole milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt (I use Siggi or Chobani)
Take the starter yogurt from the refrigerator so that it has time to get closer to room temperature while you heat the milk. Plug in the yogurt maker.
Heat the milk in a double boiler or in a glass or metal bowl on top of a saucepan of boiling water till the milk reaches 185° F. Do not boil the milk.
Let the milk cool to about 100°–110°F before mixing in the yogurt or starter culture packet. Do not let it cool below 90° F before adding the starter.
Use a whisk to mix the starter yogurt or starter culture with the milk until the consistency is smooth with no lumps remaining.
Pour the mixture into the small blue container, put it into the Dash Greek Yogurt Maker, and place the Main Lid (clear lid) on top.
Set the timer for 9 hours and start the yogurt maker. The probiotic cultures now get busy turning the milk into yogurt.
To go on to Greek yogurt after the 9 hours is up, place the Greek strainer inside the larger white container so the strainer rests securely on the rim. Pour the yogurt into the strainer.
Place the container lid on the large container and put it in the refrigerator to strain and chill for 2 hours.
The longer the yogurt strains the thicker it will become. You can strain it for less time if you prefer a thinner consistency.
After 2 hours, take your Greek yogurt out of the refrigerator and move to your storage container. The whey that drains off the yogurt can be used to fertilize tomato plants since it contains calcium. I found it too sharp-tasting to add to muffins or cornbread as many websites suggest.
Put your yogurt back in the refrigerator to chill for another few hours before serving.