No. 3650 — Cheese Dry Outside but Soft as Dutch Cheese Within
English historical translation of Molokhovets recipe No. 3650 from the 1901 Russian cookbook, retaining original methods and measures.
Place soured milk without sour cream in a very gently heated oven. Let the curds cool completely, transfer to a bag and drain overnight.
Next day mix with salt, distribute into small bags and press for two days.
Take the cheeses out and immediately cover with stout linen so air does not reach them. Turn daily without opening windows or heating the stove in the room.
After two or three weeks, according to the source, visible mould and a strong unpleasant smell develop. Remove the linen for a further week so the mould dries.
Wash the cheeses gently in warmed whey, replacing it repeatedly until the cheese surfaces look clean. The source warns against scraping at this stage.
Spread uncovered on clean dry shelves in the same room and turn twice daily. Windows may now be opened and the stove heated in winter.
When dry, store in dry rye grain. Two or three hours before eating, rinse in hot water and let dry briefly.
The author recommends making this cheese shortly after the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, claiming it will be dry on the surface yet soft inside like Dutch cheese.