Noord-Hollandse Gouda

Noord-Hollandse Gouda (Traditional Farmstead Gouda)

A traditional Dutch farmstead Gouda from North Holland, made by culturing fresh cow's milk, setting the curd with rennet, pressing it in molds, and brining it before air-drying. This is a slow, multi-day recipe suited to a home cheesemaker with basic equipment.

Prep

90 min

Cook

30 min

Total

120 min

Serves

Makes roughly 900 g (about 2 lb) of fresh cheese, plus 2 to

Difficulty

Hard

Recipe ingredients

• •8 L (8.5 qt) raw whole cow's milk, use the freshest full-fat milk you can source; pasteurized will work but raw gives more depth
• •0.5 g (1/8 tsp) mesophilic starter culture, e.g. MM100 or a Flora Danica-style culture
• •2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) calcium chloride solution (30%), only needed if using pasteurized milk
• •1.5 ml (1/4 tsp) liquid rennet, diluted in 60 ml / 1/4 cup cool non-chlorinated water
• •60 g (1/4 cup) cheese salt (non-iodized), for brining; do not use iodized table salt

Steps

1. 1 Heat the milk to 32 °C (90 °F) in a stainless pot. If using pasteurized milk, stir in the calcium chloride first.
2. 2 Sprinkle the mesophilic starter over the surface, let it rehydrate for 2 minutes, then stir gently into the milk. Maintain 32 °C and ripen for 45 minutes.
3. 3 Stir the diluted rennet in with an up-and-down motion for 1 minute, then cover and let the milk set undisturbed for 35 to 45 minutes, until you get a clean break.
4. 4 Cut the curd into roughly 1 cm (1/2 in) cubes with a long knife. Let the curds rest 5 minutes.
5. 5 Slowly raise the temperature to 38 °C (100 °F) over 30 minutes, stirring gently to keep curds from matting. Hold at 38 °C for another 20 to 30 minutes until the curds are firm and squeaky.
6. 6 Pour off about one third of the whey. Add warm water (about 38 °C / 100 °F) to nearly replace the whey you removed; this traditional Dutch 'washing' step keeps the paste sweeter and paler. Hold at 38 °C for 10 more minutes.
7. 7 Settle the curds for 5 minutes, then ladle them into a cheese mold (a Gouda press mold or a colander lined with cheesecloth). Press at 1.8 kg (4 lb) of weight for 15 minutes.
8. 8 Flip the wheel, re-dress it in clean cloth, and press at 4.5 kg (10 lb) for 30 minutes. Flip and press at 9 kg (20 lb) for 2 hours, then at 18 kg (40 lb) for 12 to 24 hours at room temperature.
9. 9 Prepare a saturated brine by dissolving 300 g (about 1¼ cups) of non-iodized salt per 1 L (1 qt) of water, cooled to about 10 to 13 °C (50 to 55 °F). Brine the wheel for 1 hour per 500 g (1 lb) of cheese, flipping halfway.
10. 10 Air-dry the wheel at 12 to 14 °C (54 to 57 °F) and 90 to 95% humidity for 2 to 5 days, turning daily, until the rind is dry to the touch.
11. 11 Coat the dry rind lightly with food-grade cheese wax or a light butter rub, then age at 12 to 14 °C (54 to 57 °F) and 85 to 90% humidity: 1 to 2 months for mild Gouda, 4 to 6 months for the deeper, nutty North Holland-style flavor.
12. 12 SAFETY NOTE: The milk used must be either truly raw from a healthy herd, or properly pasteurized (72 °C / 161 °F for 15 s, or equivalent). Do not use 'farm fresh' milk of unknown status. Maintain brining and aging temperatures in the food-safe range above to prevent pathogen growth.