Ingredients
Cultured buttermilk
- 1.5 litreswhole or semi-skimmed milk
- 4 tbspcultured buttermilk, as starter
To serve
- mămăligă, hot
- salt
- or fresh cheese and onions
Directions
- Warm the milk to 22°C (72°F) — barely warm to the touch. Lapte bătut is set by a mesophilic culture that works at room temperature, and yoghurt heat will kill it.
- Stir in the starter until evenly mixed.
- Pour into a jug or jar, cover with a cloth rather than a lid, and leave at room temperature for 18 to 24 hours.
- It is ready when it has thickened to the consistency of single cream and tastes cleanly sour. It should stay pourable — this is a drink, and if it sets firm it went too long or too warm.
- Stir it smooth and chill for at least four hours.
- Serve very cold with hot mămăligă, poured over so it half melts into the polenta, with a pinch of salt.
- Keep four spoonfuls back to start the next batch — it will run indefinitely.
- It also raises soda bread and makes tender pancakes, because its acidity reacts with bicarbonate of soda.
Technique
- Room temperature, not warm. This is what gives the mild clean sourness rather than a yoghurt tang.
- Cover with cloth. A sealed lid traps gas and the milk separates.
- The original was the liquid left from churning butter; this cultured version is what households now make deliberately.
Substitutions
- Live sour cream or crème fraîche as the starter, both mesophilic.
- Semi-skimmed milk for a lighter drink.
Variations
- The Latvian rūgušpiens, Estonian hapupiim and Finnish piimä are the same drink.
- Drained through muslin it becomes a fresh curd.
History
A by-product of churning butter in Moldovan households, later made deliberately as a summer drink.
Frequently asked questions
What is Lapte batut?
Lapte batut is a fermented & pickled from Moldova: tangy cultured buttermilk drunk cold with mămăligă. A by-product of churning butter in Moldovan households, later made deliberately as a summer drink.
How long does Lapte batut take to make?
Lapte batut takes 10 min plus 18 to 24 hours culturing of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes makes 1.5 litres. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Lapte batut?
Yes, within limits. Live sour cream or crème fraîche as the starter, both mesophilic. Semi-skimmed milk for a lighter drink.
What is the most important thing to get right in Lapte batut?
Pour into a jug or jar, cover with a cloth rather than a lid, and leave at room temperature for 18 to 24 hours.
