Of all the do-it-yourself projects I wanted to try, homemade yogurt was not at the top of the list. After all, it’s a lot easier to find a decent yogurt on the market than it is to track down, say, preserved lemons or cabbage-free kimchi.

But then I fell in love with a whole-milk yogurt that was so smooth, thick and milky tasting that it blew away anything I’d had before. Naturally, it was made by a Brooklyn artisan, it cost a fortune, and it was in such high demand that the fancy shop where it was sold was often out of stock.

So I decided to try making my own. If I used the expensive yogurt as a starter, maybe I could approximate that beloved flavor for a fraction of what I was paying. And I’d never have to worry about running out.

The Internet has plenty of yogurt how-to’s, but I found the most accessible and complete guide in a book called “Yogurt Culture,” by Cheryl Sternman Rule, published last year.

Photo

Her book made homemade yogurt seem not only easy, but also kind of essential. She persuaded me that making my own yogurt was one of those techniques that, like baking bread, every passionate cook should try at least once — if for nothing more than to connect with an ancient tradition.

Yogurt making turned out to be so simple that it’s become part of my weekly routine. I can throw together a batch in the morning while I’m drinking my tea, and it’s ready that same night. All I do is heat a pot of milk until it steams, let it cool down a bit, and stir in some yogurt to act as a starter. Then I leave the pot in a warm place to ferment.

That’s it.

During fermentation, the milk thickens into something delectably custardy and satiny smooth, with a clean, fresh, tangy flavor that is even better than the fancy artisanal stuff — a pretty big payoff for what ends up being about 10 minutes of active work.

After several months of yogurt making, I have learned a few little tricks to make the process go seamlessly.

The first, from Ms. Sternman Rule’s website teamyogurt.com, is to rub an ice cube over the inside bottom of the pot before adding the milk. This keeps it from scorching as it heats.

Next is that where the pot of milk ferments doesn’t really matter as long as it’s warm. I’ve tried placing it in a turned-off oven with the oven light on, in a corner swathed in a heating pad, on the countertop wrapped in a big towel, and tucked on the top of the fridge. They all worked, though the warmer the spot, the more quickly the milk fermented.

Once the yogurt thickens and you think it may be ready, taste it before you stick it into the refrigerator. If it seems too mild, let it sit out for another couple of hours to increase the tanginess. You can leave it for up to 24 hours at room temperature if need be without worrying about spoiling.

You can use your homemade yogurt as the starter for the next few batches, but it can weaken over time and lose its thickening power. As a precaution, I’ve been buying new yogurt for every five batches. (Any brand of plain yogurt will do as long as you like the taste of it.) This may be overkill, but I’m addicted enough at this point to want be sure of the outcome rather than do without yogurt for breakfast.

And by making my own, I’m guaranteed to have a steady supply of the good stuff.