Homemade Cheese from Buttermilk

How to prepare homemade cheese from buttermilk

1. Put the buttermilk in a wide oven-safe dish.
2. Place the dish in the oven preheated to 190°C for 15 minutes. If the dish is transparent, you'll see a lot of whey collected at the bottom.
3. Take the dish out of the oven and with a knife cut the set milk into squares.
4. Place 4 layers of cheesecloth in a sieve/strainer. Place the sieve over a bowl. Either pour the set milk directly from the dish into the cheesecloth, or use a slotted spatula to transfer it to the cheesecloth (I chose the latter method because the Pyrex dish was too full and there was a risk of spilling the precious milk on the floor).
6. Let it drain for 5 minutes, then bring the edges of the cheesecloth over the cheese. Place plastic wrap on top and then aluminum foil. Place a weight on top (I used the beans I use for blind-baking tart crusts) to speed up the draining. Make sure the bottom of the strainer doesn't reach into the whey.
7. Let it drain at room temperature for 2 hours. After this time, check the cheese - you'll see it's a soft cheese (melts in your mouth), perfect for eating with herbs and olive oil or for dessert with a strawberry coulis (or other fruit) or honey. If you want it drained more, put it in the refrigerator and let it drain until you get the desired texture (a few hours or even overnight).
8. When the cheese has the desired texture, remove it from under the weight and, with the help of the cheesecloth, flip it onto a plate/bowl. It can be eaten immediately or stored in the refrigerator.
   * the leftover whey can be used in bread doughs (instead of water or milk) or to sour soups

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