Finnish Oven-Baked Squeaky Cheese (Leipäjuusto) — Warm Bread Cheese with Cloudberry Jam

• 2 lwhole milk (not ultra-pasteurized)
• 250 mlheavy cream
• 120 mlcultured buttermilk (adds mild tang)
• 2.5 mlcalcium chloride solution (30% solution, helpful for pasteurized milk)
• 2.5 mlliquid microbial rennet
• 60 mlcool non-chlorinated water (divided for diluting calcium chloride and rennet)
• 6 gfine sea salt
• 10 gunsalted butter (for the pan)
• 180 gcloudberry jam
• 120 gmustikka blueberry compote (optional Finnish berry alternative)

Instructions

1. 1

   Sanitize a large pot, slotted spoon, knife, colander, and cheesecloth with boiling water, then let them air-dry. Good cleanliness is important because leipäjuusto is a fresh cheese and will not be aged long enough to develop protective acidity.

2. 2

   Pour the whole milk and heavy cream into the pot and warm gently to 32°C, stirring often so the bottom does not scorch. Stir in the cultured buttermilk, cover the pot, and let the milk stand for 30 minutes so it develops a gentle dairy tang.

3. 3

   Dilute the calcium chloride in 30 ml of the cool non-chlorinated water, then stir it into the milk for 30 seconds. Dilute the liquid microbial rennet in the remaining 30 ml of water, stir it in with 20 slow up-and-down strokes, cover the pot, and leave it undisturbed for 35 minutes.

4. 4

   Check for a clean break by inserting a knife at an angle and lifting the curd; it should split cleanly with pale whey pooling in the cut. If the curd is still soft, cover the pot and wait 10 more minutes before cutting.

5. 5

   Cut the curd into 2 cm cubes with a long knife, reaching all the way to the bottom of the pot. Rest the cut curd for 5 minutes, then stir very gently for 10 minutes while raising the temperature to 38°C to help the curds firm without becoming rubbery.

6. 6

   Line a colander with cheesecloth and ladle the curds into it, keeping the curds as intact as possible. Sprinkle the fine sea salt evenly over the curds, fold the cloth over the top, and drain for 15 minutes.

7. 7

   Butter a shallow 20 cm round baking dish or ovenproof skillet and transfer the drained curd into it. Press the curd into an even 2 cm thick round, then place a small plate and a 1 kg weight on top for 20 minutes to compact the cheese.

8. 8

   Heat the oven to 250°C with the rack in the upper third. Remove the weight and cloth, then bake the cheese for 12 to 16 minutes until the surface is set and lightly blistered with brown spots.

9. 9

   Switch on the broiler for 1 to 3 minutes if the leipäjuusto needs deeper speckled browning, watching constantly to prevent burning. The finished cheese should be firm enough to lift, pale inside, and browned in patches on the surface.

10. 10

    Rest the baked cheese for 5 minutes, then cut it into wedges or squares while still warm. Serve with cloudberry jam, mustikka compote, strong coffee, and slices of ruisleipä if you want a fuller Finnish coffee table.