1tablespoonyogurt - commercial or your own homemade
Instructions
Fill a Pyrex 2-qt microwave-safe bowl or pitcher with milk. Alternatively, pour milk into a heavy-duty pot to heat on the stove.
Heat in the microwave until bubbles begin to appear around the edge. The temperature should reach 170-180˚F after you stir it. (In my microwave, it takes about 11 minutes on HIGH). Check at 9 minutes.
Allow your milk to cool until the temperature drops to between 100-110˚F.
Whisk in fresh unflavored yogurt (the starter). You may use yogurt from a previous batch of your homemade yogurt.
Cover the milk and place it in a warm environment where the temperature stays around 100-105˚F.
Allow the inoculated milk to incubate for 4-8+ hours or until set.
At this point, you could chill the yogurt and eat it as is. Or you can decide whether to pour off the whey or stir it back in. Straining yogurt to make it thicker will result in Greek yogurt.
From Regular Yogurt to Greek Yogurt:
Carefully pour yogurt into a bouillon strainer or chinois. If the mesh is fine enough, you won't need to use a cheesecloth or paper towel. Or use a or a commercial size paper coffee filter inside a cheap strainer or colander.
Let yogurt sit in the strainer until the yogurt is reduced by approximately a third. Time will vary according to the thickness of the yogurt out of the oven and your own preference regarding texture and sourness.
Empty whey from the batter bowl and pour yogurt out of strainer back into the original bowl. Use a good whisk to beat until smooth. Thin with milk or leftover whey if yogurt is too thick.
Now is a good time to add any flavorings or sweeteners.
Chill.
Notes
Nutritionals are only an estimate. Numbers will vary according to how much you strain your yogurt.