A method for increasing the yield and quality in the manufacture of cheese from a selected volume of milk in which the volume of milk has been fortified with additional dairy components that increase the solids and includes pre-acidification of the fortified milk prior to cheese making. The fortified milk is subjected to an acid or acid producing material that quickly lowers the pH either before or after pasteurization to a pH of approximately 6.6 to 5.70. The acidification is performed under turbulent conditions to maintain milk protein native integrity. The acidified fortified milk is then subjected to the conventional cheese making process. The cheese made using the present invention is particularly useful in the subsequent manufacture of process cheese.