Strained Yogurt & Brown Butter Cheesecake
This cheesecake has no cream cheese at all! It uses strained probiotic yogurt, brown butter and heavy cream to create a flavor and texture that is next level. A classic graham cracker crust holds everything up and since it ain’t broke and I am not gonna fix it.
There are a couple tricks I like to use when baking a cheesecake: I use a “collar” to keep the cheesecake from sticking to the pan, and a steam bath for keeping the top from cracking as it bakes.
To make the collar, cut a strip or two of parchment paper the width of your springform’s sides and long enough to reach all the way around it. After the crust has cooled completely, loosen the springform hinge slightly and fit the paper collar against the inside of the springform around the perimeter and all the way down between the crust and the springform side. Adjust the collar and make everything even and straight and then gently close the springform latch again.
A cheesecake expands when it is cooked and then shrinks as it cools. This expanding and contracting can lead to cracks in the top of the cheesecake. A steam bath helps to prevent that by evaporating water into the oven and keeping the air moist so that the surface of the cheesecake doesn’t dry out or set too quickly as it cooks and expands. To make a steam bath, find a casserole dish or similar and fill it with an inch or so of recently boiled water. Place it beneath the springform on the lower rack of the oven when you are preheating.
The procedure has 4 parts:
1- Straining the yogurt,
2- Browning the butter
3- Making the graham cracker crust, and
4- Final assembly, baking, and cooling
The Recipe:
Mis en Place:
8 cups (64oz, 1.814kg) yogurt, full fat (Greek style is best)
1 1/2 sticks (6oz, 165g, 3/4 cup) unsalted butter, browned and cooled to room temp, 4 tbsp separated*
1 cup (8oz, 236ml) Heavy cream, creme fraiche, or sour cream, give or take a 1/4 cup more or less
1 1/2 cups graham crackers, crushed
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp water
*4 tbsp browned butter*, from above
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp vanilla, or beans from 1 pod
4 eggs, room temperature
Straining the Yogurt
Line a colander with white paper towels, coffee filters, or 3-5 layers of cheese cloth. Place the colander in a bowl that is larger, with space for liquid to collect.
Transfer the yogurt to the colander and level it out. Cover the surface of the yogurt with more paper towels, filter, etc. and place in the refrigerator. You can speed things up by placing a small plate inside the colander on top of the filter and weigh it down with a big can of vegetables from the cupboard. Check it every hour. Discard the liquid and wet paper towels, stir the yogurt, reline the colander and start the process over.
Repeat 3-4 times until the yogurt looks like cream cheese and has been reduced up to 60% or 700-710g. The thicker the initial yogurt, the less it will reduce.
Keep the strained yogurt refrigerated while straining, but allow to come to room temp for mixing and final assembly. Do not mix the brown butter into the yogurt while the yogurt is cold or you will have chunks of butter throughout the batter instead of a silky smooth mix. : -(
Browning the Butter
Brown the stick and a half of butter for the cheesecake and the crust by cooking in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the milk solids brown in the boiling butter fat, being sure to gently scrape all parts of the bottom of the pot. Keep it moving!
Take it off the heat when those bits are a medium brown and smell like caramel, before it turns black. It will continue to cook in the hot pan even with the heat off, so you have to pull it just before it is ready. Cool immediately by transferring to a heat proof dish or by setting the pot on a cool damp cloth to avoid over browning.
Separate 4 tbsp for the crust.
It only takes 8-10 minutes to brown butter and as you get better at it you can do it faster and at a higher heat.
Making the Graham Cracker Crust
Preheat the oven to 350F/176C
Crush the graham crackers by pulsing in a food processor or by sealing them in a bag and rolling a rolling pin or wine bottle over them to crush them down to fine crumbs. Add the water, sugar and butter and pulse to combine or use a wooden spoon to combine well.
Press the mixture into a 9” springform and press the mixture firmly into the mold with a flat bottomed glass or other thing that fits into the mold, pressing a slight 1/2”-3/4” high ridge around the outer edge of the crust.
Bake the crust at 350F/176C for 10-12 minutes, to set the graham crackers, butter and sugar together and to give it structure.
Make the filling while it cools.
Final Assembly, Baking, and Cooling
Add the steam bath to the bottom rack and preheat the oven to 325F.
The dairy component needs to weigh 2 1/2 pounds, or 1.13 kg. Weigh the strained yogurt with the brown butter and make up the difference with the heavy cream, creme fraiche, or sour cream.
Add the sugars, cornstarch, and vanilla to the yogurt mixture and blend well. Add the eggs one at a time, blending in each one completely before adding the next.
Scrape the bowl a couple times to make sure the mixture is even.
Pour the batter into the cooled and collared springform pan and place the springform in the oven on a baking sheet.
Place the pan in the oven and bake from 80 -90 minutes, or until the surface is golden, the edges are firm, and the center 3 inches still has a little jiggle.
Turn off the heat and allow the cheesecake to cool slowly in the oven.
When cooled to room temperature, refrigerate for 2-4 hours, or until completely chilled.
Serve chilled or at room temperature. I love it with fruit, like a tangy strawberry compote.
