Burrata

Burrata with Olive Oil, Salt, and Bread

A traditional Puglian classic: a thin shell of stretched mozzarella filled with a creamy stracciatella of curd and cream, served with nothing more than good olive oil, flaky salt, and warm bread.

Prep

20 min

Cook

10 min

Total

30 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Hard

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1.1 lb) fresh curd (or fresh cow's milk mozzarella curds), pasta filata curds, as fresh as possible; not ricotta
• •250 ml (1 cup) hot water, kept at 80–85°C for stretching
• •100 ml (scant ½ cup) heavy cream, cold, minimum 35% fat; this is the heart of the burrata
• •30 g (1 oz) fine sea salt, plus extra for the shaping water
• •60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil, to serve, a good Puglian variety
• •1 pinch flaky sea salt, for finishing, or null
• •1 loaf good crusty bread, such as Pugliese or Altamura, to serve

Steps

1. 1 Bring a large pot of water to 80–85°C (185°F); remove from heat. Reserve a small bowl of this hot water and keep the rest warm for stretching.
2. 2 Soften 500 g of the freshest possible pasta filata curds in the warm water for 2–3 minutes until pliable. Reserve a quarter of the curds separately; this small portion will be torn into shreds for the filling.
3. 3 Take the larger portion and knead/stretch it in the hot water, folding and pulling like taffy, until it becomes smooth, elastic, and glossy (5–7 minutes). Keep the curd warm throughout.
4. 4 Shape the stretched curd into a single ball. Press your thumbs into the center to open a pocket, then gently stretch and rotate the ball by hand, letting gravity pull it into a thin, even pouch about 10–12 cm (4–4¾ in) across, with a small opening at the top. Work quickly so the curd does not cool and stiffen.
5. 5 Tear the reserved curds into 1 cm (½ in) shreds and place them into a bowl. Pour 100 ml of cold heavy cream over the shreds and season with a small pinch of fine salt. Mix gently with a fork — do not whip — you want loose, distinct shreds suspended in cream (this is stracciatella).
6. 6 Spoon the stracciatella filling into the mozzarella pouch, filling it generously but leaving enough room to close. Gather the edges of the opening and pinch them firmly together to seal.
7. 7 Twist the top of the pouch to form a little 'knot' and tie it securely with a piece of unflavored kitchen string to hold the seal during chilling. (Traditional burrata is often tied with a strip of mozzarella rather than string, but string works in a home kitchen.)
8. 8 Carefully lower the burrata into a bowl of well-salted ice water (about 20 g salt per liter) for 30–60 seconds to set the skin and shock the cream inside. This firms the shell slightly while keeping the interior liquid.
9. 9 Transfer to a plate and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, ideally 4–12 hours, so the cream firms enough to slice cleanly while the shell stays delicate.
10. 10 To serve: remove the string, place the burrata on a plate, let it come to room temperature for 20–30 minutes (cold burrata loses its silkiness), then drizzle with 60 ml of good extra-virgin olive oil, scatter a pinch of flaky sea salt, and serve with torn bread. Cut at the table so the cream spills out onto the plate for dipping.
11. 11 Doneness/safety note: this dish uses raw dairy products (unpasteurized-style fresh curds and raw cream) that are not cooked. For food safety, use only pasteurized dairy from a reliable source, keep the burrata chilled (below 4°C / 40°F) until serving, and consume within 24 hours of making. If using raw milk curds from a farm source, consume the same day and keep refrigerated at all times.