Fynbo

Danish Fynbo (45+) Washed-Rind Cow's-Milk Cheese

Fynbo is a semi-hard, washed-rind cow's-milk cheese from the island of Fyn in central Denmark. This home cheesemaker's version follows traditional Danish methods using combined mesophilic and thermophilic cultures, producing a mild, slightly nutty wheel that is sliced thick for rugbrød or melted onto smørrebrød.

Prep

60 min

Cook

240 min

Total

300 min

Serves

approximately 2 kg wheel (yields about 400 g finished cheese

Difficulty

Hard

Recipe ingredients

• •16 L (4¼ gal) whole pasteurised cow's milk, must be pasteurised (not raw) to match commercial Fynbo; do not use ultra-high-temperature (UHT) milk
• •5 g (1 tsp) mesophilic (DVI) starter culture, e.g. Danisco CHN-19 or MM-100; substitute is not traditional
• •3 g (½ tsp) thermophilic (DVI) starter culture, e.g. Danisco STI-12 or TA-061; the blend of mesophilic + thermophilic is what gives Fynbo its characteristic texture
• •6 ml (1¼ tsp) calcium chloride solution (30%), optional but recommended for pasteurised milk
• •3.5 ml (¾ tsp) liquid microbial rennet (single-strength), or 1 g of microbial rennet (e.g. Fromase); traditional Danish factories use calf rennet but microbial is the standard home substitute
• •40 g (1¾ oz) non-iodised sea salt or cheese salt, for brine and dry salting
• •5 L (1¼ gal) cold water, for the 20% salt brine (substitution note: home kitchens cannot replicate the brine maturation tanks used at Arla-style dairies, so brine time is shortened)
• •5 g (1 tsp) Brevibacterium linens (B. linens) smear culture, dissolved in 50 ml of brine; traditional for the washed rind. Optional if you only want a close rind
• •2 L (34 fl oz) mild brine (2% salt), for daily rind washing during ripening

Steps

1. 1 STEP 1 — Heat the milk. Pour 16 L of pasteurised cow's milk into a stainless-steel pot. Slowly warm to 32 °C (90 °F), stirring gently to avoid scorching. Add 6 ml of 30% calcium chloride solution and stir for 1 minute to incorporate.
2. 2 STEP 2 — Add the starters. Sprinkle 5 g mesophilic culture and 3 g thermophilic culture over the surface of the milk, let them rehydrate for 2 minutes, then stir thoroughly from top to bottom. Hold the milk at 32 °C for 45 minutes to ripen — the acidity should rise to about 0.18% titratable acidity.
3. 3 STEP 3 — Add rennet and set. Dilute 3.5 ml single-strength liquid rennet in 60 ml cool, non-chlorinated water. Stir into the milk with an up-and-down motion for 1 minute. Cover, keep the pot warm at 32 °C, and let the milk set for 40–45 minutes until you get a clean, firm break (a knife inserted into the curd should part cleanly).
4. 4 STEP 4 — Cut the curd. Cut the curd into 1.5 cm (½-in) cubes using a long knife held vertically, then horizontally. Let the curds rest for 5 minutes to release whey.
5. 5 STEP 5 — Cook the curds. Slowly raise the temperature to 38 °C (100 °F) over 30 minutes, stirring gently to prevent matting. Hold at 38 °C for another 30 minutes — this higher temperature, driven by the thermophilic culture, gives Fynbo its firmer body. The curds should be firm and squeak when bitten.
6. 6 STEP 6 — Drain and pre-press. Let the curds settle for 10 minutes, then ladle them into a cheesecloth-lined mould (about 18 cm / 7 in diameter) or a rectangular hoop (Fynbo is traditionally made as a small rectangular block, ~1 kg per mould). Press at 1 kg (2.2 lb) of weight for 30 minutes at room temperature.
7. 7 STEP 7 — Turn and press harder. Flip the wheel, re-dress in fresh cloth, and press at 5 kg (11 lb) for 12 hours at room temperature (18–22 °C / 65–72 °F). The wheel should reach a final pH of about 4.9–5.0.
8. 8 STEP 8 — Brine. Prepare a 20% salt brine by dissolving 1 kg salt in 5 L cold water, cooling to 12 °C (54 °F), and checking with a salometer to 100 % (or until a fresh egg floats). Soak the wheel for 12 hours, turning once halfway. (Commercial Fynbo brines longer in industrial tanks; 12 hours is the practical home equivalent.)
9. 9 STEP 9 — Dry the rind. Remove the wheel from the brine, pat dry, and place on a wooden board at 14–16 °C (57–61 °F) with 80–85% relative humidity for 2–3 days until the rind is dry and slightly waxy to the touch. Lightly salt the surface on day 2 if the rind is still damp.
10. 10 STEP 10 — Apply the smear culture (optional but traditional). Dissolve 5 g of B. linens in 50 ml of 2% brine and brush evenly over all surfaces of the wheel. This is what gives Fynbo its characteristic pale, slightly moist, washed rind and gentle savoury aroma.
11. 11 STEP 11 — Ripen. Transfer the wheel to a ripening cave or a converted wine fridge set to 13–15 °C (55–59 °F) with 85% relative humidity. Every 2 days for the first 2 weeks, wash the rind with the mild 2% brine to encourage the smear and keep the surface pliable. After 2 weeks, flip weekly.
12. 12 STEP 12 — Age to 'Fynbo 45+'. Commercial Fynbo 45+ has at least 45 g of fat in dry matter and is ripened for 6–8 weeks minimum. For a true 45+ profile, age the cheese 6–8 weeks; for a milder table cheese, 4 weeks will do. The wheel is ready when the rind is pale ivory with a faint pink-orange tint and the interior is soft, ivory, and smells mildly of buckwheat honey and toasted nuts.
13. 13 STEP 13 — Safety check before eating. Verify internal core pH is 5.0–5.2 (use cheese pH strips). If odor is ammonia-strong or the rind is slimy and black, do not taste — extended ripening at higher humidity can produce spoilage organisms; discard.
14. 14 STEP 14 — Serve. Cut into thick wedges and serve on rugbrød (dense rye bread) with butter, cress, and roast beef or pork — the classic Danish lunch presentation. Also excellent melted onto an open rye smørrebrød with thinly sliced radish and fresh chives.