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7 ways to nail homemade cheeses

DIY cheese is easier than you think! Impress your guests with this selection of very cheesy (and homemade) offerings.

Haloumi

Homemade haloumi Source: SBS Food

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The art and love of making cheese from scratch - it's a beautiful thing. And to excite you to take on your very own dairy creations, we dug deep and found some delectable ways you can make your very own at home.

Don't worry, this doesn't mean you're giving up a life of cheese purchases, but if you're looking for a little DIY food project that is very satisfying, try your hand at these cheese recipes that'll create smiles all around.
Labna or labneh is a Middle Eastern staple. It’s made by removing excess whey from salted yoghurt, which results in a velvety, cream cheese-like spread with a slightly sour note. It’s eaten on bread and topped with olives, mint, tomato, cucumber and olive oil.
Labna
Source: Alan Benson
 shares this beautiful cheese-making by-product! Here is a recipe for fresh ricotta, that's perfect served warm with toast or drizzled with runny honey or grape must. How do you enjoy it? (And if you'd like a delicious idea for using up the whey left after making ricotta, check out Farah Celjo's , and her .)
Ricotta
Smooth, homemade ricotta Source: Silvia Colloca
Making your own mascarpone at home is easier than it sounds and O Tama Carey has us covered with this easy recipe that produces a creamy and slightly sour mascarpone.
MarscaponeMakingShot-01.jpg
For those who already heart haloumi, take it next level by preparing and perfecting your very own slab of salty goodness. Great in pies and salads, haloumi needs no back-up as it holds its very own, simply grilled with a little cracked pepper and lemon juice. Get Matthew Evans' recipe
Haloumi
Homemade haloumi Source: SBS Food
This southern Italian wonder has got quite the reputation and this batch will keep several days in a salted brine... bigger question is, will it last that long?
Mozzarella
Paneer is homemade, unsalted, white cheese. "It has a fresh farm cheese-like quality and a dense, crumbly texture that works wonderfully with Indian spices, but equally well with flaky sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of quality olive oil," explains Anjum Anand. It appears in endless variations - try , marinated in herbs and yoghurt, wrapped in foil and cooked on a barbecue, Ajoy Joshi's Sarina Kamini's , fragrant with garam masala. Or use your homemade paneer in Anand's vibrant and flavour-packed .

Paneer
Anjum Anand's marinated paneer. Source: Anjum’s Australian Spice Stories
Last but certainly not least, it's the cheese that has been around for several thousands of years and is also one for those who want to get into some seriously good cheese making. Feta is simple to make, very versatile and can be enjoyed straight away, no ageing required.  You can make feta cheese with this easy recipe from , or even easier, buy some good feta and take it to a marinating place with this !
Greek-marinated-fetta
Source: Alan Benson

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SBS Food is a 24/7 foodie channel for all Australians, with a focus on simple, authentic and everyday food inspiration from cultures everywhere. NSW stream only. Read more about SBS Food
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SBS Food is a 24/7 foodie channel for all Australians, with a focus on simple, authentic and everyday food inspiration from cultures everywhere. NSW stream only.
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3 min read
Published 19 September 2017 1:44pm
Updated 22 April 2025 10:34am
By SBS Food bite-sized
Source: SBS


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