How I Make Thick Greek-Style Yogurt at Home (No Yogurt Maker Needed)

No yogurt maker needed — a simple, energy-free method for making rich, thick Greek-style yogurt using just milk, heat, and natural fermentation.

Homemade & Fermented

I've heard a lot of people over the past few days complaining about the hot weather and the supposedly extreme temperatures. Personally, I handle it quite well. In fact, I enjoy it. It finally gives me a chance to wear more elegant clothing. I'm someone who doesn't handle the cold very well, so I always end up layering up.

But even if you struggle with these summer temperatures, there's still another upside, aside from the fact that you can dress a bit more elegantly.

For example, you can make your own yogurt without needing to use any energy to create the right temperature: you don't need a yogurt maker, an oven, or a slow cooker!

Just like that, free of charge, you can let your yogurt ferment right on your countertop.

Now that the temperatures allowed it, I decided to give this a try, mainly because I find yogurt in Italy quite expensive — at least compared to the prices I'm used to in the Netherlands.

In Sicily, I live near a Lidl supermarket. The Greek yogurt they sell there is absolutely delicious. It's so creamy and mild that, in terms of taste experience, it comes close to mascarpone.

That's why I sometimes turn it into a dessert that resembles tiramisu (but easier and a bit healthier).

And you know what's strange?

That same yogurt, in the exact same packaging, costs about half as much in the Netherlands… but it's not even close to being half as good. It's less creamy and less mild — more tangy, basically.

Anyway, I took advantage of these high-summer, almost tropical Sicilian temperatures to start making my own yogurt.

Because if I have to spend money on electricity for a yogurt maker, oven, or slow cooker, I might as well just buy that good Greek yogurt from the supermarket!

I'll explain below how I did it. It's honestly ridiculously easy.

I used to avoid it because I always thought you needed to sterilize all your tools and jars and so on. But that turns out not to be necessary.

What you need

• 1 liter of whole milk
• 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt with live cultures (as a starter)
• Optional: 100 to 200 ml of cooking cream with around 20% fat

How to make it

1. 1
   Heat the milk, optionally together with the cream, to about 85°C (185°F) (just below boiling). This helps create a firmer yogurt.
2. 2
   Let it cool down to 43–45°C (about 109–113°F).
3. 3
   Stir a few spoonfuls of the warm milk into the yogurt starter, then mix that back into the rest of the milk.
4. 4
   Pour the mixture into a clean glass jar or container.
5. 5
   Let the yogurt ferment for 14–18 hours. The longer you wait, the more sour the yogurt becomes.
6. 6
   Then place it in the fridge for at least 4 hours to set.

For extra thick Greek-style yogurt

After chilling, let the yogurt strain for at least 1–3 hours in a colander lined with a clean cheesecloth or coffee filter. The liquid (whey) will drain out, and the yogurt will become thicker.

Tips: Reuse a few spoonfuls of your homemade yogurt as a starter for the next batch. After about 5–10 rounds, it's usually better to start again with fresh store-bought yogurt. Always work with clean jars and utensils to avoid unwanted bacteria.

1. YOGURT FERMENTING 2. YOGURT STRAINED

✦

Optional: for extra firm and creamy yogurt

Keep the milk at 85–90°C for 10 to 30 minutes.

By not only heating the milk to about 85–90°C, but holding it there for 10–30 minutes, two important things happen: the whey proteins (especially β-lactoglobulin) denature.

Normally, these proteins don't form a strong network. But with heat, they unfold and start binding to the casein proteins.

This creates a much stronger protein network during fermentation, which results in:

• thicker yogurt
• less whey separation (less liquid on top)
• a creamier texture

How long is ideal?

10 min @ 85°C	already makes a noticeable difference
20–30 min @ 85–90°C	gives you even thicker yogurt

After that, you cool the milk down to about 43°C before adding the starter.

A useful tip is to stir the milk gently from time to time during those 20–30 minutes so a skin doesn't form and it doesn't burn on the bottom. Then cool it down as quickly as possible to about 43°C and add the starter.

One more thing about straining: Personally, I often let the yogurt strain for up to 12 hours in the fridge. I place a sieve in a bowl, line it with a tea towel, and spoon the yogurt in.

The result is a beautifully thick and creamy yogurt, especially combined with the cooking cream!

Roughly speaking, this is what you can expect:

1–3 hours	thick yogurt, similar to many store-bought Greek yogurts
4–8 hours	very thick yogurt, almost like full-fat quark
8–12 hours	even firmer, sometimes similar to labneh, depending on fat and protein content

My yogurt does differ a bit from standard recipes…

What I do differently

• – I hold the milk at high temperature for longer
• – I add 20% cooking cream
• – I ferment it for a relatively long time at warm summer room temperature
• – I then strain it for about 12 hours

It's a bit different… but the result is a more artisanal, richly textured hanging yogurt than a standard homemade one! 😊

Have you ever tried making your own yogurt or other fermented foods at home? And if you do make yogurt yourself, what's your biggest trick for getting it extra thick and creamy?

I'd love to hear your experiences — feel free to share them in the comments, and if you enjoyed this post, don't hesitate to share it with someone who might want to try making their own yogurt too.

Photo: Jonathan Borba