If you have ready-made labneh, skip to the next step. For the labneh, mix 1 teaspoon salt with the yoghurt. Balance a sieve over a large bowl and line the sieve with muslin or a clean tea towel – leaving a large enough overhang of cloth to secure the yoghurt inside. The sieve should not touch the bottom of the bowl, and there should be enough space for the drained liquid to collect. Spoon the yoghurt and salt mixture into the cloth. Secure the yoghurt inside the muslin by folding or tying it with string. Yoghurt should not leak out. Instead, liquid whey should strain through the fabric. Place everything in the fridge and leave the yoghurt to strain for 24 to 48 hours until the labneh is thick – almost like cream cheese.
Place the labneh in a bowl and add the garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt and dried herbs. Mix very well with a fork until the herbs are distributed evenly.
With lightly oiled hands, roll the labneh into rough balls. Use up to a heaped tablespoon – between 20 and 30 grams – per ball.
Put the rough labneh balls on a plate lined with a clean, damp tea towel or muslin. Cover the balls with more cloth. Place in the fridge to set overnight.
Remove the balls from the fridge and, again using lightly oiled hands, smooth over the labneh balls by applying gentle pressure and rolling the labneh balls between your palms.
You can now keep the balls refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 1 week. Or, if you would like to preserve it for longer, store it in olive oil. Place half a cup of extra virgin olive oil in a sterilised, sealable jar. Drop in the first few labneh balls and cover with olive oil. Repeat until the container is filled and all of the labneh balls are completely covered in olive oil. Store in the fridge for up to 1 month.