Kvass
Fermented rye bread drink
Homemade Russian bread kvass, lightly fizzy and fermented from dark rye toast
Before the cola era, kvass was Russia's everyday thirst-quencher, sold every summer from yellow barrel trailers on Moscow street corners and poured into glass mugs. At home it is brewed from dried rye bread, sugar and a pinch of yeast, fermented for a day or two until it tastes malty, a little sour and gently fizzy, and only about 1% alcohol. It is drunk ice cold and is also the broth for okroshka. Chef's tip: toast the bread until really dark, almost burnt at the edges; that is where kvass gets its deep colour and its toasted, malty taste.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb dark rye breade.g. Borodinsky, sliced
- 12 ½ cups waterboiling
- 5 ½ oz sugar
- ½ tsp fast-action dried yeast
- ⅔ oz raisinsunwashed
- 2 mint sprigs (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Cut 1 ⅛ lb dark rye bread into cubes and bake for 25–30 minutes until very dark brown and crunchy right through.
30 minStep 2: Put the toasted bread in a large pot or jar, pour over 12 ½ cups water, add 2 mint sprigs, cover and leave for 4 hours until lukewarm and the liquid is the colour of strong tea.
240 minStep 3: Strain through a sieve lined with muslin, pressing gently on the bread. Don't squeeze hard or the kvass turns cloudy and pasty.
Step 4: Stir 5 ½ oz sugar into the liquid until dissolved, then sprinkle in ½ tsp fast-action dried yeast. Cover with a cloth and leave at warm room temperature for 12–16 hours, until foam forms on top and it smells pleasantly sour and bready.
840 minStep 5: Strain again into clean plastic bottles, leaving 5 cm headspace, and drop 3–4 ⅔ oz raisins into each. Close tightly and leave at room temperature 4–6 hours until the bottles feel firm when squeezed.
300 minStep 6: Chill in the fridge (this stops fermentation) and open carefully over the sink. Drink within 4 days.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 80 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 19 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kvass take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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