Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine

Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine (Traditional Goat's Cheese Log)

Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine is a celebrated AOP French goat's cheese from the Loire Valley, traditionally formed into a distinctive log shape and threaded with a rye straw. This homemade version uses fresh goat's milk and a careful acid-set technique to replicate its tangy, lactic character and creamy-soft interior.

Prep

60 min

Cook

2880 min

Total

2940 min

Serves

Makes 2 logs of about 250 g each

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •4 L (1 gallon) fresh raw goat's milk, must be very fresh and high-quality; pasteurized milk can be used but flavor will be less complex. Note: raw milk cheesemaking carries risk - use only trusted, certified raw milk.
• •1/4 tsp mesophilic starter culture, lactic acid type, or null
• •1/8 tsp liquid rennet, diluted in 30 ml / 2 tbsp cool non-chlorinated water, or null
• •2 g fine sea salt, non-iodized, or null
• •2 whole rye straws, untreated, or null
• •1 tbsp fine food-grade ash, optional, traditional exterior dusting; vegetable ash such as oak or vine ash, or null

Steps

1. 1 Sanitize all equipment: cheese vat, ladle, thermometer, molds, and work surface. Heat the goat's milk gently to 22 °C / 72 °F in the vat.
2. 2 Sprinkle the mesophilic starter culture over the surface of the milk and let it rehydrate for 2 minutes. Stir gently in an up-and-down motion to distribute evenly.
3. 3 Cover and let the milk ripen for 45 minutes, maintaining 22 °C / 72 °F. The acidity will begin to drop.
4. 4 Add the diluted rennet, stirring gently but thoroughly for 1 minute. Cover and let the milk set undisturbed for 18-24 hours at 20-22 °C / 68-72 °F until a clean break is achieved (the curd should pull away from the sides cleanly).
5. 5 Test doneness of the curd: a clean break with clear, yellowish whey is correct. If whey is milky, let it set longer.
6. 6 Using a long knife, cut the curd into 2 cm / ¾ inch cubes. Let the curds rest for 10 minutes.
7. 7 Gently ladle the curds into Sainte-Maure molds (or improvise with two perforated PVC tubes approximately 30 cm / 12 inches long and 4 cm / 1½ inches in diameter), filling them slowly. Stop briefly to thread a rye straw lengthwise through the center of each log - press gently to embed it fully without breaking the curd.
8. 8 Let the cheeses drain at room temperature (20-22 °C / 68-72 °F) for 24 hours. After the first 6 hours, flip each log carefully. After 12 hours, flip again. Total draining time: 24-36 hours until the surface is firm and dry to the touch.
9. 9 Unmold the cheeses. Mix the fine salt with the ash if using. Gently roll each log in the salt (or salt-ash mixture) to coat lightly on all sides.
10. 10 Transfer to a draining rack or mat in a cave-like aging space at 12-14 °C / 54-57 °F with 85-90% humidity. Turn daily for the first week.
11. 11 Age for 10-14 days. The rind should develop a light blue-gray mold and the interior should remain soft, creamy white, and tangy. Doneness cue: when pressed gently, the log should yield slightly but hold its shape; a small knife inserted at the thick end should meet soft, creamy paste with no raw grainy texture.
12. 12 Once aged, wrap loosely in parchment or cheese paper and store at 4-7 °C / 39-45 °F. Consume within 2-3 weeks for best flavor.