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black pepper brie
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Black Pepper Brie

Servings 2 rounds

Equipment

  • 1 large stock pot (6-8 l or 1½-2 gallon)
  • measuring spoons
  • thermometer (digital preferred)
  • wide slotted spoon or ladle
  • regular ladle
  • long knife (bread knife works)
  • Brie rounds (we used 10 cm/4 inch plastic pipe sawed to a 15 cm/6 inch height)
  • draining mat (bamboo)
  • wire draining rack
  • draining tray or pan (serving tray works)
  • large container for brining (need to submerge 2 brie rounds at 10 cm/4 in in diameter)
  • air-tight storage container for aging in the fridge
  • aging rack (slotted wooded rack)
  • aging mat (perforated rubber mat)

Ingredients

  • 1 gallon skim or 1% milk (4L)
  • 4 1/4 cup 32% whipping cream (1L)
  • 1/4 tsp calcium chloride* (1 1/4 ml)
  • 1/8 tsp mesophilic culture* (2/3 ml)
  • 1/16 tsp penicillium candidum* (1/3 ml)
  • 1/4 tsp rennet* (1 1/4ml)
  • black pepper from pepper mill
  • non-iodized salt
  • *Buy online or find a list of stores at makecheese.ca

Instructions

  • Place large pot in your kitchen sink with the stopper in.
  • Bring milk and cream to room temperature then pour into your pot.
  • Mix calcium chloride with 60 ml (¼ cup) of non-chlorinated water, then add to milk mixture.
  • Stir for 3 minutes then heat milk gently/evenly to 29C (84F) by pouring boiling water into the sink around your pot and stirring to distribute heat evenly.
  • Once warmed, add mesophilic culture and penicillium candidum to the milk mixture – do not stir. Let the cultures hydrate on top of the milk for 5 minutes.
  • When hydrated, stir in cultures for 3-5 minutes.
  • Dilute rennet in 60 ml (¼ cup) non-chlorinated water.
  • Stir into milk for 1 minute.
  • Let sit for 40-50 minutes until curds have set.