Method for producing a cheese and cheese produced

A method for producing a cheese having spreading and/or ropy properties when cooked, comprising:

• i) introducing a base composition comprising water, fat and milk protein concentrates into a solid-liquid mixer, wherein the milk protein concentrates comprise less than 10% by weight of lactose in relation to the total dry weight of the milk protein concentrates and wherein the percent by weight of the fat in the base composition is at least 15%;
• ii) operating the solid-liquid mixer at a stirring speed greater than or equal to 1500 rpm and a first temperature between 35° C. and 60° C., so as to emulsify and homogenize said base composition, then deaerating the base composition under vacuum, until a homogeneous, emulsified and deaerated dough, or pre-cheese mix, is obtained;
• iii) cooling the dough or pre-cheese mix at a second temperature below the first temperature,
• iv) adding one or more coagulating enzymes to the cooled dough or pre-cheese mix to cause coagulation in the cooled dough or pre-cheese mix,
• v) texturing the dough or pre-cheese mix, the texturing comprising the addition to said dough or pre-cheese mix of steam or hot water at a third temperature greater than or equal to 45° C., and
• vi) moulding and/or unmoulding the dough or pre-cheese mix, wherein said method does not comprise separating whey formed after addition of the one or more coagulating enzymes, and wherein a ratio between the weight of calcium and a total nitrogenous matter (TNM) in said milk protein concentrates is greater than or equal to 0.10% and less than or equal to 2.80%,
• wherein said method comprises a step of adding fat to the dough or pre-cheese mix before the texturing step v) and after the cooling step iii),
• wherein the quantity by weight of fat added after the cooling step iii) is greater than or equal to the quantity by weight of fat added to the base composition in step i), and
• wherein the fat is chosen from cream, butter, butter oil, anhydrous milk fat, palm oil, coconut oil, copra oil, soybean oil, and sunflower oil, wherein said palm oil, coconut oil, copra oil, soybean oil, and sunflower oil are in liquid form or partially or fully hydrogenated form.