Stracchino (Crescenza) – Full Cheesemaking Recipe
Soft, creamy, spreadable Italian cheese with a personality as gentle as a British apology.
What Stracchino Is
Stracchino is a fresh, soft Italian cheese made from cow’s milk. It’s creamy, mild, slightly tangy, and ready to eat within a few days. Think of it as mozzarella’s shy cousin who prefers staying home and reading instead of being stretched and pulled like a circus performer.
Ingredients (for ~1 kg Stracchino)
8 litres whole cow’s milk (not UHT, unless you enjoy disappointment)
1.5 ml liquid rennet (single‑strength)
1 sachet mesophilic culture (MA 011, MM100, or similar)
2 ml calcium chloride (if using pasteurised milk)
1 tbsp fine cheese salt
Clean water (non‑chlorinated)
A pot, thermometer, ladle, curd knife, cheese moulds, draining mats
Step‑by‑Step Recipe
1. Heat the Milk
Warm the milk to 37°C. Not 50°C, not “feels warm-ish,” but 37°C — the temperature of a polite British bath.
Stir gently to avoid scorching. Milk is sensitive. Treat it like a guest.
2. Add Calcium Chloride
If your milk is pasteurised, add 2 ml CaCl₂ diluted in a splash of water. This helps the curd set properly instead of collapsing like a British deckchair in the wind.
3. Add the Mesophilic Culture
Sprinkle the culture over the surface. Let it hydrate for 1 minute, then stir in gently.
Rest for 30 minutes to allow acidification to begin.
4. Add the Rennet
Dilute 1.5 ml rennet in 20 ml cool water. Stir into the milk with slow, upward motions.
Cover and let it set for 45–60 minutes until you get a clean break. If you poke it and it jiggles like a posh jelly, you’re on the right track.
5. Cut the Curd
Cut into 2–3 cm cubes. Stracchino curds are delicate — treat them like you’re handling the Queen’s favourite porcelain.
Let them rest for 10 minutes.
6. Stir & Cook Very Gently
Stir slowly for 10–15 minutes while keeping the temperature at 37°C.
You’re not trying to make cheddar here. No aggressive stirring. No whisking. No “let’s see what happens.” Gentle is the keyword.
7. Ladle into Moulds
Scoop the curds into perforated moulds. They will look like they’re falling apart — that’s normal. Stracchino is basically cheese pudding at this stage.
Let whey drain naturally.
8. Flip the Cheese
Flip every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours. Then flip every 2 hours for the next 6 hours.
If it sticks, don’t panic — Stracchino is clingy by nature.
9. Salt the Cheese
Sprinkle fine cheese salt on all sides. Not too much — Stracchino is meant to be mild, not auditioning for the role of Pecorino Romano.
10. Refrigerate & Mature
Place the cheese in a covered container and refrigerate at 8–10°C.
Let it mature for 2–4 days.
By day 3, it becomes creamy, spreadable, and ready to impress even your most sceptical British friends.
How to Serve
Spread on warm bread
Add to focaccia
Melt slightly over roasted vegetables
Eat straight from the container (no judgement)
Pairs beautifully with olive oil, tomatoes, basil, or — if you insist — a cup of tea.
If you’re inspired to make cheese at home, we offer rennet, starter cultures, moulds, and cheese‑making essentials — shipped across the UK and internationally. Perfect for beginners, hobbyists, and artisan makers alike.