Homemade Yogurt: Recipe & Why It’s Better

I recently got into making homemade yogurt. According to the FDA, it isn’t really yogurt unless the dairy is cultured with specific strains. How limiting! Beyond this, most commercial yogurts are cultured for a grand total of about 4 hours, barely enough time to allow the culture to take off. The yogurt I’ve been making at home is cultured for 36 hours. The yields of beneficial microbes go off the charts in that amount of time!

Why am I making cultured dairy?

There are a lot of reasons I decided to delve into the wonders of making my own yogurt.

• I’ve had antibiotics WAY too many times. According to Dr. William Davis, author of The Wheat Belly, Undoctored, and Super Gut, most of us have had dozens of courses of them. “Antibiotics are like a hydrogen bomb set off in the GI tract that leaves a path of microbial devastation. It takes years to rebuild the microbiome,” says Dr. Davis (Super Gut, page 36).

• The increasing incidence of SIBO (Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth) and SIFO (Small Intestine Fungal Overgrowth). Specifically, in SIBO, fecal organisms that are supposed to stay in the colon, make their way up the 30 feet of intestines into the small intestine area. They don’t belong there, and cause a whole host of symptoms and issues. It is no wonder that so many of us have leaky gut! I love the GAPS diet for healing and sealing the gut, but that is a subject for another blog post. For more information on that topic until I get to writing about that, please see Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride’s legendary work, Gut and Physiology Syndrome: Natural Treatments for Allergies, Autoimmune Illness, Arthritis, Gut Problems, Fatigue, Hormonal Problems, Neurological Disease and More.¹
• Repair the damage: to heal and seal my gut lining. As stated above, the damage caused from antibiotics, as well as glyphosates in our foods, acid-suppressing drugs, chlorinated and fluoridated drinking water (I use a Berkey filter to solve this), poor diets rich in carbs and sweets that encourage the proliferation of less desirable flora, emulsifying agents, and artificial sweeteners like sucralose (try natural Stevia instead). wreak havoc on the gut²
• To give my kids a better start at life. We obtain our microbiome as we enter the world at birth. As we travel down the birth canal, all the microbes present in the mother, confer to the child. Unfortunately, in my opinion, antibiotics are over-used during child birth, killing off much of the mother’s microbiome, but also stealing what could have been passed to the child. Bifidobacterium Infantis is one such microbe that I want to pass along to my children. See below for the list of reasons this specific microbe is important. Even if you delivered via C-section, it isn’t too late! Make some cultured dairy with it, and you can re-populate your children’s gut with this valuable species, and yours too!
• It’s delicious!
• I can control what goes into it! Most commercial yogurts are chock full of sugar and other yucky stuff. My cultured dairy has NONE of that!

Spcific Strains…What’s So Great About B. Infantis strain?

• Great for infants. Apparently this strain of microbes lives up to its name! It is “clinically proven to effectively reduce the abundance of potentially pathogenic bacteria, and provide functional, measurable benefits to the infant gut within days” according to Evivo.³
• Helping to solve gut dysbiosis… and the cascading secondary symptoms of eczema, allergies, etc.³
• Digestive Support. According to Balance One, “research shows that the organisms in breast milk play a vital role in nourishing a baby’s gut bacteria. Those most important of these is B infantis, the only strain that can fully break down and utilize the sugars in milk.”⁴ Is this the reason, or at least one of the reasons, that so many children and adults are lactose intolerant? I wonder what might happen if we all re-colonized our guts with this important microbe!
• Don’t let the name fool you! Apparently, this strain is great for adults and children alike!⁵

“Adults who keep their B. Infantis levels in balance enjoy better overall health, an active metabolism, and less discomfort after eating. British researchers reported it only took four weeks for women who took B. Infantis to enjoy and significant improvement in the IBS symptoms.”

Bifidobacterium infantis: A Healthy Probiotic Strain by Dr. Group, DC of Global Healing

• Keeping down the bloat and gas! Bloating and gas are probable indicators of digestive system problems. It may be a signal from the body that there are not enough friendly microbes present to help digest food.⁵
• Anti-inflammatory? I wouldn’t be surprised… In a study of 268 babies, researchers studied the blood levels of B infantis. “Those with higher levels of these beneficial bacteria also had higher levels of anti-inflammatory makers,” according to Christin Perry of Very Well Family.⁶
• Less diaper changes, rashes, autoimmune issues, type 1 diabetes, eczema… and the list goes on!

“When this species is restored in infants… they have fewer bowel movements (fewer nappy changes), less colic, less eczema, less nappy rashes, better sleep, and less risk for asthma, type 1 diabetes, and other autoimmune disorders later in childhood.”

Dr. William Davis, Super Gut, page 236

What You’ll Need to Make Cultured Dairy “Yogurt”

• Choose one or more of the following starter cultures or two tablespoons of cultured dairy yogurt from previous batch. Don’t get overwhelmed by all the options! Dr. Davis says to think of it like a restaurant menu… pick what works for you! Some options include:
  • Bifidobacterium Infantis – use one sachet – KEYSTONE SPECIES – digestive benefits galore that are important for infants, children AND adults! Read about EVEN MORE benefits in this post! Remember, Hippocrates once said, “all disease begins in the gut.”
  • Lactobacillus Reuteri – use one sachet – KEYSTONE species – benefits listed in Dr. Davis’ book include “smoother skin, increased skin moisture (more sebum), increased dermal collagen (fewer wrinkles), accelerated healing, and restoration of youthful muscle that, in total, amount to an age reversing effect” (Super Gut, page 232). Due to oxytocin boosting capacity, Dr. Davis says pregnant women should avoid this strain.¹ I have noticed that I am having tons of wonderfully colorful dreams since starting this yogurt!
  • Lactobacillus Gasseri – open up 1 tablet to use – Dr. Davis says that L. Gasseri can ‘ reduce waist size by about 2.5 cm when consumed over ninety days, even in the absence of any change in diet or exercise” (Super Gut, page 234). Nuff said!!!
  • Bacillus Coagulans – open up 1 capsule – I have noticed that this strain is also found in many brands of kombucha! According to Dr. Davis, this “strain can reduce inflammation, reduce arthritis pain, reduce symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome, and accelerate muscle recovery after strenuous exercise” (Super Gut, page 233)
  • More strains to come in the future!!
• A Yogurt Maker… some o
  • Luvele Pure Plus Yogurt Maker – this is what I have, and I like it very much, although you can only make one kind of yogurt at a time, costs around $104.95 at this time.
  • MV Power Yogurt Maker – a lower cost option, about $41, that allows you to make different strains of cultured dairy in 8 separate pots all at once!

• Yogurt Makers continued…
  • Suteck Yogurt Maker – looks very similar to the MV Power option above. Current price is around $60
  • Instant Pot Pro Plus – This newer model includes a Yogurt Maker function! Some of the older models do too, but have specific presets that are not conducive to making yogurt at lower temperatures and longer culturing times. This model currently runs about $150. I do not have experience making yogurt in instant pots personally but it is an option as long as you check the user manual to make sure that the model you choose has the right temperature and timing functionality.
• Organic Potato Starch – this prebiotic fiber provides fuel for the microbes!
• 32 ounces (or about 950 ml) of organic, ultra-pasteurized half and half.
  • For your first batch, at least, UP organic half and half is ideal, as the yogurt is most likely to come out smooth and creamy. After your first batch you can try using other products like raw milks, or creams. Some people apparently even use canned coconut milk (not the stuff in cartons, as it is too thin). See page 241-242 of Super Gut for detailed instructions on how to make this yogurt with non-dairy options. I have not attempted those yet!
• Glass Measuring Cup (4 cup or 1 Quart Sized is perfect!)
• STORAGE (post culturing) – Glass Food Storage Containers with flip top lids – transferring your cultured dairy product to another glass storage container post-fermentation will free up your device to start a new batch!
• Super Gut book by Dr. William Davis – this book is truly one to have in your stacks! It available in paperback, hardcover and audiobook! I will be gifting these for Christmas!

How To Make Cultured Dairy a.k.a. “Yogurt”

1. In your glass measuring cup, add approximately 2 tablespoons of your half and half cream, 2 tablespoons of potato starch and starter culture (choose from the list above or use 2 tablespoons of yogurt from your previous batch).
2. To prevent clumps in your final product, wisk this all together before adding in the rest of the cream.
3. Once your mixture is smooth, add the rest of the cream.
4. Add mixture to the glass fermentation vessel.
5. Select temperature on your machine that is the closest, depending on strains used
   • Infantis – 38° C, or 100° F
   • Reuteri – 38° C, or 100° F
   • Gasseri – 43° C, or 109° F
   • Coagulans – 46-50° C, or 114-122° F
6. Select time. All the strains listed above need 36 hours, although Infantis can ferment for 36-40 hours.
   • NOTE – Consider the time of day you start. If you start fermentation at 9 AM on Tuesday morning, your cultured dairy will be done at 9 PM Wednesday evening. You may have to set a timer to wake up in the middle of the night if you don’t plan ahead here. I have done this twice now, so I generally try to get my cultured dairy into the machine early in the morning now!
7. Let it go for the entire time! No peeking or stirring. Consistency is key for having a good result.
   • If you end up with curds and whey at the end of the fermentation cycle, don’t worry! You can use 1 tablespoon of curds and 1 tablespoon of whey to culture your next batch. Often the next batch turns out much better. I don’t have this problem when using half and half, but have when using milk.
8. After complete, I put the fermentation vessel directly in the refrigerator for several hours to cool and firm up.
9. Transfer cultured dairy to a glass storage container with secure lid to free up your fermentation vessel for another batch. This is yogurt goes fast in my house, so I pretty much keep it going all the time these days!
10. Enjoy as is, our as a sour cream like topping for tacos and soups, or in your favorite smoothie! I try to eat at least a half cup or more per day.

Sources:

1. Super Gut: A Four-Week Plan to Reprogram Your Microbiome, Restore Health, and Lose Weight by Dr. William Davis, 2022.
2. The fecalisation of America by Dr. William Davis, 2018.
3. B. infantis EVC001. The strain that matters, Evivo.
4. Bifidobacterium Infantis: Major Health Benefits, Balance One, 2017.
5. Bifidobacterium infantis: A Healthy Probiotic Strain by Dr. Group, DC of Global Healing, 2015.
6. The Importance of B. Infantis in Infant Development by Christin Perry of Very Well Family, 2021.