I love my homemade dairy yoghurt and am lucky enough to have no issues eating as much dairy as I like. Unfortunately, this is not the case for many people, my brother included. Lactose intolerance is more common than you might think. According to the National Institute of Health, about 65% of the adult population is lactose intolerant globally. In Australia, it is 44%.

Non-dairy yoghurts are extremely popular and a great alternative for those that are lactose intolerant as well as those that just prefer a dairy replacement. Of all the non-dairy yoghurts, soy is the most popular. Fortunately, it is also really easy to make.

Equipment

• A yoghurt maker large enough to hold one litre of soy milk
• A dairy thermometer
• A sealed whisk
• Measuring spoons

Ingredients

• 1 Litre of Soy Milk
• 1-2 tablespoons of Smooth Gel — Optional
• 1 tablespoon of sugar to act as food for the culture (optional) 
• 1 dose of Yoghurt Starter Culture 
• 1 dose of Probiotic Culture – This is not required if you are using the vegan-certified non-dairy yoghurt culture.
• Alternatively, you could use the vegan-certified Non-Dairy Yoghurt Culture.

Instructions

• Warm the soy milk to between 37° and 43° C. and place it into a yoghurt maker. This can be easily done by standing the carton in hot tap water for a few minutes.
• Add your starter culture and mix well to ensure the culture is evenly distributed.
• Add the Smooth Gel (Optional for thicker yoghurt) and sugar (optional to get to 5%). If you are adding both, mix them together first as this will make it easier to mix them into the soy milk. 
• Maintain the milk mixture between 37° and 43° C for 10-18 hours or even longer. 
• Remove the internal container from your yoghurt maker and place it in the fridge to chill.

There is only a couple of minutes of work involved in making this yoghurt. The rest of the work is done by the culture. You get to enjoy this great non-dairy yoghurt at a fraction of the cost of purchasing it pre-made, and as you can see it is rich and creamy. I used Bonsoy this time, but have had great success with many brands, including Vitasoy and So Good.

I hope that you enjoy this great way of getting your daily dose of probiotics.

Live well.