Tomme de Chèvre de Savoie

Tomme de Chèvre de Savoie (Traditional French Goat's Milk Cheese)

A pressed, uncooked goat's milk cheese from the Savoie region of France, traditionally aged for several months to develop its characteristic dense texture and earthy, tangy flavor.

Prep

90 min

Cook

30 min

Total

120 min

Serves

Makes 1 wheel (~1.5 kg / 3.3 lb)

Difficulty

Hard

Recipe ingredients

• •10 L (2.6 gal) raw goat's milk, fresh, from a single milking if possible; pasteurized will yield a different flavor
• •1/4 tsp mesophilic starter culture, or 60 ml of whey from a previous cheesemaking batch
• •1/4 tsp liquid rennet, diluted in 30 ml (2 tbsp) cool non-chlorinated water
• •15 g (1 tbsp + 2 tsp) cheese salt, non-iodized, fine grind

Steps

1. 1 Heat the goat's milk gently in a stainless steel pot to 32°C (90°F). Remove from heat.
2. 2 Sprinkle the mesophilic starter culture over the surface of the milk, let it rehydrate for 1 minute, then stir gently in an up-and-down motion to distribute. Cover and ripen the milk at 30–32°C (86–90°F) for 45 minutes.
3. 3 Add the diluted rennet and stir gently for 1 minute. Cover and let the milk set, undisturbed, at 30–32°C (86–90°F) for about 45 minutes, or until you get a clean break when tested with a knife.
4. 4 Cut the curd into 1.5 cm (½ in) cubes using a long knife. Let the curds rest for 5 minutes.
5. 5 Slowly raise the temperature of the curds to 38°C (100°F) over 30 minutes, stirring very gently to prevent the curds from matting. Hold at this temperature for 20 minutes until the curds are firm enough that a squeezed handful holds its shape.
6. 6 Line a tomme mold with cheesecloth. Ladle the curds into the mold, filling it to slightly above the rim.
7. 7 Press the cheese at 2 kg (4.5 lb) of pressure for 15 minutes. Flip the wheel, re-dress it with the cheesecloth, and press at 4 kg (9 lb) for 2 hours. Flip and press at 4 kg for another 8–12 hours, or overnight, in a cool area (15°C / 59°F).
8. 8 Unmold the cheese. The interior pH should be between 5.0 and 5.2 (verify with pH strips); if above 5.2, let the wheel air-dry at 18°C (64°F) for 12–24 hours before salting.
9. 9 Dry-salt the wheel: rub 8 g of salt over the entire surface; refrigerate (12°C / 54°F) for 24 hours; rub the remaining 7 g of salt over the surface and refrigerate another 24 hours.
10. 10 Age the cheese on a wooden board at 11–13°C (52–55°F) with 90–95% relative humidity. Turn the wheel daily for the first week, then every other day for 2 weeks.
11. 11 After 2–3 weeks, when a natural gray-white rind (geotrichum and penicillium molds) begins to form, move the cheese to a cooler cave at 10–12°C (50–54°F) with 95% humidity.
12. 12 Continue to turn and wipe any excess moisture from the rind every 3–4 days. The cheese is ready to eat at 2 months; traditional Tomme de Chèvre de Savoie is aged 4–6 months for a fuller, more complex flavor.
13. 13 SAFETY NOTE: This recipe uses raw goat's milk, which carries inherent risks of pathogenic bacteria (E. coli, Listeria, Salmonella, Brucella). It is intended only for experienced cheesemakers with access to a controlled, hygienic make environment and a proper aging cave. Consume only after the full recommended aging period, during which pathogens decline to safe levels. Vulnerable populations (pregnant women, young children, elderly, immunocompromised) should avoid raw-milk cheeses or use pasteurized goat's milk with the understanding that flavor and rind development will differ significantly from the traditional product.