To make your yoghurt you will need a yoghurt maker that has a low setting as L- Reuteri likes the temperature to be around 37C - 38C (100F) and a cooking thermometer. See
https://www.luvele.com.au/collections/yoghurt-maker#starters
You can also use a sous vide, or a multi cooker as some have a yoghurt setting or a sous vide setting and also act as a slow cooker, air fryer and pressure cooker.
Dr Davis's original recipe used a milk product, available in America, called "half and half", this milk is 16% fat and makes a thick creamy yoghurt. In Australia our full cream milk is 4% fat and will make a thinner yogurt. It is also more likely to curdle. The Luvele test kitchen worked out that heating the milk to 82C and holding the temperature for 20 to 30 minutes will prevent the curdling effect. You can also add extra cream to the milk for a richer creamier result.
It is best to use organic milk and pure cream without additives
Look for Paris Creek Farms organic milk in Coles and Foodland, and either Dairy Farmers pure cream or Fleurieu pouring cream. Aldi have Farmdale organic milk and Farmdale pouring cream.
You can use goat's milk or sheep's milk.
I have added 200 to 300mls of cream to one litre of milk with good results, the total yield will be 1200 to 1300mls of yoghurt.
Before you start wash your yoghurt container with hot soapy water and pour boiling water over your equipment (spoons, whisk, thermometer, small bowl), or briefly immerse them in a pot of simmering water, to sterilize.
Ingredients
1 litre organic milk
200 to 300mls of pouring cream
2 tablespoons of potato starch/flour or inulin
10 tablets of Bio Gaia Gastrus probiotic (or 1/3 cup of yoghurt from your previous batch)
Method
Heat the milk and cream in a double boiler, if you don't have one place the saucepan of milk in a larger pot filled with boiling water. Use your thermometer to watch as the temperature increases, when it reaches 82C, turn down the heat and hold the temperature for 20 to 30 minutes.
You then need to cool the milk to 30 to 36C. You can place your saucepan in cold or iced water to speed it up.
Crush the probiotic tablets into a fine powder with a mortar and pestle or place them is a small plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.
Pour about 1/2 cup of the cooled milk into a small bowl and stir in the potato starch or inulin and your crushed probiotic. Let it stand for a few minutes and then add back into the pot of milk.
If you are using a portion from your previous batch, blend this into your small bowl with 1/2 cup of cooled milk and the potato starch or inulin. It is not necessary to add any more tablets at this point even though you may see some people suggesting this on various blog posts.
Pour the milk into your yoghurt container, cover and place into the yoghurt maker. To set up the yoghurt maker, follow the manufacturers instructions, (Luvele require water to surround your yoghurt container/s) and set the temperature to 37C - 38C and the timer to 36 hours. Leave it to ferment in a safe place on the kitchen bench where it wont be disturbed.
When done, carefully place the yoghurt in the fridge for about 4 hours, to set before using.
Please listen to Dr Davis talk about the health benefits of this probiotic yoghurt in these interviews. You will also pick up many other tips and advice from his experience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Bp2pMojNZo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl-i2aBw-ew
Coconut milk
You can make a plant based yoghurt with coconut milk but you will have to add gelatin or agar agar if you want the thick consistency of yoghurt. You will also have to add 1 teaspoon of sugar to feed the bacteria.
Agar must be heated to 87⁰C and held at that temperature for 5 minutes to activate. Gelatin will also need to be heated and held until dissolved. It is not necessary to hold coconut milk for any longer.
Follow the same basic instructions for dairy milk (as above)
For best results use 3 x 400ml cans of Honest to Goodness organic coconut milk
2 teaspoons of agar powder or 1 1/2 tablespoons of gelatin
2 tablespoons of potato starch or inulin
1 teaspoon of sugar
10 tablets of Bio Gaia Gastrus probiotic
Making the next batch
Reserve some of your first batch for subsequent batches. You need 1/3 cup of yoghurt to inoculate the next batch.
I froze 3 portions of my first batch for later use. Luvele recommend using some of the previous batch to inoculate the next batch 4 or 5 times to reduce the risk of contamination over time. After 4 weeks of happy yogurt making I started again with one of my frozen portions. This way your 10 tablets will keep you making yoghurt for up to 20 batches.
