Step 1

Stir the powdered milk into the milk in your crockpot. Adding powdered milk increases the protein content of the finished yogurt, and also gives it a thicker and creamier texture.

Step 2

Turn the crockpot on Low, and heat the milk until it reaches 180°F (around 4-5 hours). Turn off the crockpot and allow the milk to cool slightly.

Step 3

Once the milk has cooled to somewhere between 95-115°F, scoop a small amount of the milk out and add it to the 1/2 cup of plain yogurt with active cultures. Stir the yogurt and milk well until completely blended, then pour the yogurt mixture back into the rest of the milk.

Step 4

Transfer the milk mixture into several jars or an enameled dutch oven, and place in your oven with the light on. Let the yogurt sit in the oven for 8 to 12 hours to complete the culturing process. DO NOT stir, jostle, or jiggle your yogurt during this time!

Step 5

At the end of the culturing time, move the container(s) to the fridge and chill well before eating.

Step 6

If you’d prefer more of a Greek-style yogurt, you can go ahead and drain it bit with some cheesecloth at this point. (I usually skip this step, because I like the thickness as-is.)