How to make natural yoghurt at home (beginner guide)

This post contains affiliate links. I make a small commission on items purchased through these links at no additional cost to you.

You can make your own natural yoghurt at home with only two ingredients. Delicious and versatile, this yoghurt is perfect for both sweet and savoury dishes.

What are the benefits of making your own yoghurt?

• Yoghurt is incredibly nutrient dense – contains important nutrients such as calcium, B vitamins, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium.
• High in protein – essential in the building and repair of muscle. Very satiating (keeps you feeling full for longer)
• High in beneficial probiotics – the live, healthy bacteria in yoghurt helps to boost the microbiome and improve gut health, leading to improved digestion and nutrient absorption.
• May be tolerated by those with lactose intolerance – when properly fermented, lactose is converted by bacteria into lactic acid. Meaning that there should be very little, if any lactose in yoghurt.
• Saves you money – yoghurt, though reasonably expensive to buy is very cheap to make at home.
• Quick and easy to make – as with making most fermented foods, there is very little ‘hands on’ time, most of the time is simply waiting for fermentation to work its magic.

How is natural yoghurt made at home?

Yoghurt is the product of bacterial fermentation of milk. Beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus are introduced into the milk and, under the right conditions, multiply and convert lactose into lactic acid. This process lowers the pH and coagulates the milk protein, which therefore creates a sour taste and creamy, thick yogurt.

From here, you can add some natural sweetness to the plain yoghurt by adding some honey, maple syrup, or fresh fruit. You can also use this yoghurt in savoury recipes such as tzatziki. When making your own yoghurt, the kind of milk you use is important. For best results, use full fat/full cream milk and avoid using skim milk or low-fat milk.

A note on store bought yoghurt

Although there are many great brands of yoghurt out there, it definitely pays to check your labels and really figure out what you’re getting when you buy store-bought yoghurt.

Many yoghurts are not produced in a traditional way, and corners are often cut to make the end product cheaper and more palateable. Real yoghurt should be made from milk and live cultures, nothing else.

So often, reading a yoghurt label will reveal that it contains additives, thickeners, flavours, colours, stabilisers, acidity regulators, milk solids and loads of sugar. Even additives that sound ‘natural’ often have questionable health effects or a lack of research surrounding the risks of including them in the diet.

Even more concerning, yoghurt marketed towards children often contain more of these nasties. No thanks!

What equipment do you need to make your own natural yoghurt at home?

• Large saucepan – used to heat the milk
• Whisk – to intermittently stir the milk
• Thermometer – important for measuring the temperature of the milk at various stages
• Jars – you can use any jars with lids that are air tight for fermenting and storing your yoghurt
• Funnel – for filling your jars
• Dehydrator, yoghurt maker, heating pad, or oven that can be set to 43-45^oC – for the fermentation process

Are there any risks to making your own natural yoghurt?

When you make your own natural yoghurt at home, there are a few things you need to understand about the process to ensure that the end product is safe to consume.

It is generally recommended to heat your milk to 82^oC and maintain this heat for 5-10 minutes. This step kills any bacteria and leads to a thicker yoghurt. The milk is then cooled and the live active cultures (Greek/natural yoghurt) added – see recipe below. It is important to use the freshest and best quality milk possible.

Keeping your yoghurt at a consistent temperature during the fermentation process ensures that the conditions are optimal for the beneficial bacteria to multiply quickly enough to lower the pH to keep any bad bacteria at bay. If your temperature is too low, you may end up with a slimy/stringy yoghurt, and there is a risk that the beneficial bacteria may not have lowered the pH enough, leaving opportunity for undesirable bacteria to colonise.

How to store your homemade natural yoghurt

Homemade yoghurt can be stored in the fridge for at least 2 weeks. After this point, keep an eye on it and use your senses – smell/look/taste for anything funky, just like you would with store bought yoghurt. Using this recipe, we often store our yoghurt in the fridge for up to a month with no issues.

If you want to make another batch of yoghurt, don’t forget to save 1/2 cup to use for your culture.

Many people say that after 3-4 batches of using a starter culture for the next batch, that you will need to buy another lot of store bought yogurt to use for culturing your next batch. However, I have been able to repeat the process with yoghurt from the previous batch too many times to count.

If your yoghurt isn’t fermenting as well as it should be (runny, stringy, not sour enough) then it might be time to grab some more natural yoghurt from the store and start over, otherwise, it’s fine to keep saving some and using it in the next batch!

How to make your own natural yoghurt at home

Gather your ingredients and equipment

You will need full cream cow’s milk, I like to use biodynamic or organic milk, but you can use any fresh full cream cow’s milk. 1/2 cup natural yoghurt (free of any additives such as sugar/flavour/thickeners), large saucepan, whisk, thermometer, funnel, glass jars, and a means to keep your yoghurt warm for 10-12 hours. I love using my beloved dehydrator, it’s great to have such a multi-purpose appliance. I can make yoghurt one day, and dry flowers, tea, fruit or herbs the next!

Heat your milk

Add milk to your saucepan, and place on the lowest heat or in a double boiler. Heat milk up to temperature (82^oC) slowly over medium heat, stirring occasionally and keeping a close eye on it. Once at 82^oC, maintain this for 5-10 minutes, stirring constantly.

Cool your milk

Cool your milk down to 45^oC. This happens quite slowly, just check on it every 10 minutes until it gets there. During this time you can give your jars a really good wash in hot, soapy water. This step is important as you don’t want to introduce any bacteria, mould, or yeast before fermenting your yoghurt.

Add your natural yoghurt

Once you’ve let the milk cool to 42-45^oC, you can add your natural yogurt (you can use your own homemade yogurt from a previous batch, store-bought yogurt if this is your first time). Give it a really good stir. This step is where the probiotic cultures from the natural yogurt are introduced to the milk.

Transfer to clean jars

Transfer the milk to your jars, I find this easiest with a wide mouth funnel. I find Milner or Mason jars to be the best way to ferment and store yoghurt. Fill jars to about 2cm below the top. Place your clean lids on.

Ferment your yoghurt

Ferment your yogurt using your chosen method. The yoghurt now needs to be held in a warm environment for 10-12 hours. For the dehydrator, I remove all the racks and set my dehydrator to 45^oC. Next, I place the yoghurt jars inside and set the timer for 10 hours, it really is ‘set and forget’. I like to do this overnight and it’s ready to go in the fridge in the morning. I love that I can make a large batch at a time.

If using a yoghurt maker, follow the instructions provided. If using your oven, set the temperature to 45^oC and check this with a thermometer to make sure it isn’t too warm or cool. Another method involves fermenting your yoghurt in the oven, with only the oven light on. Place your yoghurt jars inside and set your timer for 10-12 hours. I recommend you check your over temperature regularly as they can vary significantly as they try and regulate their temperature.

Cool and store your yoghurt

Once ready, cool your yoghurt to room temperature before transferring to the fridge.

Your yoghurt will keep for at least 2 weeks. I usually make a new batch every 2-3 weeks.