Akawi Cheese--Warm & Stretchy. Make it at home for pizza, salads & desserts!

Here's how to make AKAWI cheese -- a mild, middle eastern, white, brined cheese.
Akawi can be found with different spellings: Akawi, Akkawi, Akkawie, Ackawi, etc.
Regardless of how you spell it, the taste is mild and the texture is semi-firm, somewhat like a fresh Italian mozzarella. In fact, it is sometimes used like a mozzarella in middle eastern desserts and salads. Akawi stretches beautifully if it has the right acidity, which is why Mary Anne (host of "Give Cheese a Chance") shows you how she uses her pH meter to monitor how the pH of her cheese changes throughout the day.
Akawi can be cut into cubes and tossed in salads, sliced on toast, put into a sandwich, melted on manouchi/manaeesh (pizza), or it can be a part of the famous arabic dessert called Kunafe (Kunafa). When served warm in Kunafe, this melted cheese pairs well with the crunchy pastry and sweet syrup.
Note: Some people refer to this cheese as "Akawi Tshiki" or "Akawi Chikie" because it stretches well when melted.
Notes on Timing When You Make This Akawi Cheese Recipe:
This recipe typically takes 6-10 hours to complete, depending on how quick your bacterial cultures acidify the milk. I advise to start this recipe early in the morning (i.e. 7or 8 am). There are a lot of waiting times in the procedure, where you can do other things on your to-do list while you are waiting to do the next step.
For example, after adding the bacterial cultures to the milk, it can take anywhere from 1-4 hours for the pH to lower down to 6.2. If you are impatient (after 1-2 hours of waiting), and you feel that the pH is not lowering down fast enough, then go ahead and add the rennet to the milk anyway. The bacteria will still continue to acidify the milk/curd over the next few hours. Continue with the rest of the procedure.
About your Milk: UN-homogenzied milk is definitely preferred when making this cheese. You won't get the right stretch to your cheese when melting it if you use homogenized milk. Advice: pay a few extra dollars at the store for un-homogenized milk. You will be thankful you did.
About the Brine: It is optional to add calcium to your brine in this recipe. I have made brine for this cheese with, and without, adding calcium and I don’t find there is a difference in the texture of the cheese over a long storage period. However, if you want to double ensure that the texture of your cheese does not change over time in the storage brine, then add 2 tbsp of a 33% CaCl solution to your 5 litres of brine. (But again, this is optional.)
Acidity (pH) points to monitor:
pH of milk at start of recipe: 6.6
pH when rennet is added: 6.2
pH at beginning of pressing: 5.90
pH when put into room temp. brine:
pH when put into cool (4C) brine: 5.0 - 5.2
Here's a link to get info about the pH meter I use in this video: hannacan.com/brands/foodcare/...
Make sure you sanitize all equipment before proceeding with this recipe, even your pH meter's probe. Read your pH meter's pamphlet to learn how to use your pH meter correctly, including calibration.
Here's a recipe to make the famous Kunafe dessert at home:
1 package Knafeh (kataifi) dough, shredded
8 Tbsp Butter
8 Tbsp Ghee
1 tsp Red food colouring (optional)
1 lb Akawi cheese (soaked overnight to remove the excess salt; do a taste test to confirm correct saltiness)
1 lb Fresh mozzarella
4 Tbsp Ricotta cheese
Preheat the oven to 350F / 175C. Melt butter and ghee, and add food colouring (optional). Add it to the shredded dough and mix.
Layer 1/2 of this dough onto an edged baking pan. Mix the 3 cheeses together and add them in a uniform layer on top of the shredded dough in the pan. Layer the other half of the shredded dough evenly on top.
Bake for 30 min. at 350F in the middle rack.
It is best served when still warm (but not too hot). Enjoy with a simple syrup poured on top of individual portions.
Credits:
To reach out directly to cheese professional, Moumen (official name: ABDEL MOUMEN AOUADI), send an email to: [e-mail], or contact him by WhatsApp at [phone].
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Music credit: "Rampi Rampi" Turku, Nomads of the Silk Road, "Alleys of Istanbul" album, 2016