Domashno Sirene (Homemade Bulgarian White Cheese)
The white brined cheese behind nearly every Bulgarian salad and pastry, made at home from milk set with rennet, then cut, drained, and cured in its own salted whey - cutting the set curd into small cubes and letting it drain slowly, rather than pressing it hard and fast, is what gives real sirene its soft, slightly crumbly texture instead of a dense, rubbery block.
⏱ 90 min🍽 8 servings
snackvegetarian
Ingredients
- •1 gallon whole milk
- •1/4 tsp liquid rennet, diluted in 1/4 cup cool water
- •1/4 cup salt (for the curd)
- •1/2 cup salt (for the brine)
- •4 cups water (for the brine)
Steps
- 1.Warm the milk gently in a large pot to about 90°F, stirring occasionally so it heats evenly without scorching.
- 2.Remove from the heat and stir in the diluted rennet with a gentle up-and-down motion for about 30 seconds.
- 3.Cover and let sit undisturbed at room temperature for 45-60 minutes, until the milk sets into a solid curd that pulls cleanly away from the sides of the pot when tilted.
- 4.Cut the curd into small, roughly 1/2-inch cubes with a long knife, cutting straight down in a grid pattern, then let it rest for 10 minutes - cutting it into small cubes and letting it rest, rather than breaking it up roughly, is what gives sirene its soft, slightly crumbly texture.
- 5.Line a colander with cheesecloth and gently ladle the curds into it, letting the whey drain off for about 1 hour. Reserve the drained whey.
- 6.Sprinkle the 1/4 cup salt evenly over the curds, then gather the cheesecloth and tie it into a bundle. Hang it to drain for another 1-2 hours, or press it lightly under a light weight.
- 7.Unwrap the cheese and cut into blocks. Dissolve the 1/2 cup salt in the 4 cups water (or use the reserved whey instead) to make a brine.
- 8.Submerge the cheese blocks in the brine, cover, and refrigerate for at least 3-4 days before eating - this curing time in the brine is what develops sirene's characteristic tang. It will keep for weeks stored in the brine in the refrigerator.