Bread Kvass

Making Bread Kvass

Tap a step to highlight it, or turn on Cook Mode for large type and step-by-step focus.

1. Cut the bread into thick slices and toast in a 200°C / 390°F oven for 20 minutes, until very dark and dry at the edges. It should look almost burnt.

   Mark done Start 20 min timer

2. Put the toasted bread in a large jar or crock and pour the lukewarm water over. Cover with a cloth and leave 8 hours.

   Mark done

3. Strain through a cloth, squeezing the bread firmly, and discard the solids.

   Mark done

4. Warm a cupful of the liquid, stir in the yeast and sugar, and leave 15 minutes until it foams.

   Mark done

5. Return it to the rest of the liquid with the honey, salt, mint and half the raisins.

   Mark done

6. Cover with a cloth and leave somewhere warm 24 to 48 hours, tasting from 24. It is ready when it is only faintly sweet and clearly fizzy.

   Mark done

7. Strain, bottle with the remaining raisins, and refrigerate at least 12 hours before drinking.

   Mark done

Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.

Something wrong or unclear in this recipe? Report a problem with this recipe.

Small Things That Help

• Toast the bread properly dark. Pale toast gives pale, characterless kvass.
• Cloth over the jar, never a sealed lid, until it goes in the bottle.
• Leave headroom in the bottles and refrigerate promptly. Kvass carries on working and bottles have been known to go off.

What to Serve with Bread Kvass

• Cold borscht, which is often made with it
• Salo and black bread
• Drunk cold in high summer

Storing & Reheating Bread Kvass

Refrigerate up to 1 week. It grows more sour and less sweet daily. Open bottles over a sink.

Bread Kvass FAQ: Common Questions

What's in a Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.