Bread Kvass

Method

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1. Cut the bread into thick slices and toast in a 200C 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.

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

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

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

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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.

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

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Chef’s Tips

• 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.

Pairing Suggestions

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

Storage & Reheating

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

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.