The Best Books on Cheese Making for Beginners, Intermediate and for those who want to get into a small scale commercial activity.
We live in Malawi, Southern Africa, where finding cheese is nearly impossible.
So, we had to adapt and find a solution to our addiction.
Since fresh milk is available and a network of friends is ready to deliver whatever else we need, we decided to try making cheese ourselves.
We then discover than making cheese like salted Ricotta it is not difficult at all and does not require a more than a couple of hours.
If we can make cheese here, you can do it as well. These are the Best Books on Cheese Making, in our opinion.
Disclosure: Some of our articles contain affiliate links (as an Amazon affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases).
Home Cheese Making: Recipes for 75 Homemade Cheeses
by Ricki Carrol, 2002
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This book is one of the best for beginners, it gives you clear instructions and basic knowledge about the process and the needed ingredients.
Wide variety of cheese recipe, from soft to hard cheese.
One-Hour Cheese: Ricotta, Mozzarella, Chèvre, Paneer–Even Burrata. Fresh and Simple Cheeses You Can Make in an Hour or Less!
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Another amazing book for beginners, ideal to be combined with the first book in this list.
This book has less types of cheese, focusing only on the easier and soft ones that, as the title declares, can be made in one hour or so.
If you want to find out if cheese making might be your next hobby, before buying more technical books, you should try some recipes from One-Hour Cheese.
Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking: The Ultimate Guide for Home-Scale and Market Producers
by Gianaclis Caldwell, 2012
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Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking it is a much more in depth book where you’ll learn a lot about starter cultures and their use.
If you are a total beginner, it is recommend to be purchased after you’ve gone through a basic book such as those mentioned above, or together to decide what approach suits you better.
It has all the necessary background information, more technical oriented for those who want to get into commercial artisan cheese making.
It is considered one of the best and more comprehensive book about cheese making.
The Cheesemaker’s Apprentice: An Insider’s Guide to the Art and Craft of Homemade Artisan Cheese, Taught by the Masters
by Sasha Davies and David Bleckmann, 2012
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Fantastic book for intermediate cheesemakers.
With very beautiful step-by-step pictures helping to better understand the procedures, it is a valid resource, especially for those who want to make hard cheese.
The Cheesemaker’s Apprentice clearly describes the pressures needed for each cheese type, and the weight needed to achieve these pressures for different diameter molds.
The book contains inspiring interviews with cheese-makers.
The Cheesemaker’s Manual
by Margaret Morris, 2003
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In this book, Margaret Morris focuses on the scientific aspects of cheesemaking.
50 recipes, mostly European style cheese, The Cheesemaker’s Manual is both for beginners and small scale artisans, even tho the price is quite steep.
200 Easy Homemade Cheese Recipes: From Cheddar and Brie to Butter and Yogurt
by Debra Amrein-Boyes, 2013
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Debra Amrein-Boyes is the head of The Farm House Natural Cheeses, that produces handmade artisan cheeses in Canada.
Even if the title of her book might make you think it is for beginners, it not necessarily true.
It is a complete cheese making book, with 200 recipes and many pages for troubleshooting.
Since the author has studied cheese making in Switzerland, there are a lot of European Cheeses you won’t regret discover.
American Farmstead Cheese: The Complete Guide to Making and Selling Artisan Cheeses
by Paul Kindstedt and Vermont Cheese Council, 2005
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If you want to start a small commercial activity you need to buy this book. Paul Kindstedt tries to put together the art and the science of cheesemaking.
Some might find the book too technical but cheese making is all about technique and science, and having some basic will help you to explain your past cheesemaking failures.
Cheese and Fermented Milk Foods, Volume I: Origins and Principles
by Frank V. Kosikowski and Vicram V. Mistry
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This is the final 1000 pages monster. Actually the first one, cause there is Volume II…
It is a super technical textbook, for advanced cheese makers or people with a decent scientific background.
First published in 1966, written by the founder of the American Cheese Society, it is absolutely a must have for professionals and collectors.
