### Instructions
1. **Heat the Milk:** Pour the milk into an oven-safe pot or bowl that fits comfortably inside your air fryer basket. Place the pot/bowl in the air fryer. Set the air fryer to 375°F (190°C) and “bake” for 10-15 minutes, or until the milk reaches 180-185°F (82-85°C). You can use a kitchen thermometer to check the temperature. This step helps denature the proteins, resulting in a thicker yogurt.
2. **Cool the Milk:** Carefully remove the pot/bowl from the air fryer. Allow the milk to cool down to 105-115°F (40-46°C). This can take 30-60 minutes. You can speed up the process by placing the pot in an ice bath, stirring occasionally.
3. **Add the Starter:** Once the milk has cooled to the target temperature, gently whisk in the 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt with live active cultures. Make sure it’s fully incorporated.
4. **Incubate in the Air Fryer:** Place the pot/bowl back into your air fryer. Close the air fryer. Set the air fryer to its lowest temperature setting (usually around 80-100°F or 27-38°C) or use a “dehydrate” or “warm” setting if available. If your air fryer doesn’t have a very low setting, you can also turn it on for 5 minutes, then turn it off for an hour, repeating this cycle to maintain a warm environment.
5. **Let it Ferment:** Allow the yogurt to incubate for 6-10 hours, or even longer for a tangier yogurt. The longer it incubates, the thicker and more tart your yogurt will be. Avoid disturbing it during this time.
6. **Chill and Enjoy:** Once your yogurt has reached your desired consistency and tang, remove it from the air fryer. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. This chilling process helps it thicken further.
### Short Tips
* **Sterilization is Key:** Ensure all your equipment (pot, whisk, thermometer) is thoroughly clean to prevent unwanted bacteria from affecting your yogurt.
* **Temperature Matters:** Getting the milk to the right temperature for cooling and incubation is crucial for successful yogurt making. Use a reliable thermometer.
* **Variety is the Spice of Life:** Experiment with different milks! Whole dairy milk yields the creamiest results, but plant-based milks can also work with some adjustments.
* **Save Your Starter:** Once you’ve made a batch, you can use a few tablespoons of your homemade yogurt as the starter for your next batch!
* **Thicker Yogurt?** For Greek-style yogurt, strain the finished yogurt through cheesecloth or a coffee filter set in a colander in the refrigerator for a few hours.
