Creamy Dill-Cucumber Yogurt with Toasted Walnuts

Steps

1. Wash a heavy pot, whisk, ladle, small bowl, thermometer and a lidded glass jar in hot soapy water, rinse, then sanitize by pouring boiling water over them; let them air-dry.
2. Heat: pour the commercially pasteurized 2% milk into the pot and heat over medium-low, stirring often, to 180°F (82°C). Hold it at 180°F (82°C) for 10–20 minutes, stirring, for a thicker yogurt.
3. Cool: take the pot off the heat and cool the milk to 108–112°F (42–44°C), setting the pot in a sink of cold water to speed this and checking with the thermometer.
4. Add starter: once the milk is at 108–112°F (42–44°C), whisk the live-culture plain yogurt in the small bowl with a ladle of the warm milk until smooth, then stir this mixture back into the pot.
5. Incubate: pour the inoculated milk into the jar, cover, and keep it at 108–112°F (42–44°C), in an oven with only the light on or wrapped in towels in a cooler, for 6–8 hours until set and tangy, without stirring.
6. Refrigerate: immediately chill the yogurt at 40°F (4°C) or below for at least 3 hours until cold.
7. While the yogurt chills, toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3–4 minutes until fragrant; cool.
8. Whisk the chilled yogurt briefly until smooth and creamy. Pat the cucumber dry, then stir the cucumber, dill, green onion, lemon juice, salt and black pepper into the yogurt.
9. Divide among four bowls (about 1 cup each; the yield is about 1 kg, nothing drained), top each with a quarter of the toasted walnuts, and drizzle each bowl with a quarter of the olive oil. Keep leftovers refrigerated and eat within 5 days.