Last week, we talked beet kvass and explosions. And while I love a good explosion (like, in a movie, not in my kitchen) the most traditional kvass is actually made from bread. Bread kvass has a fascinating and rich history and is a culturally iconic food in Russia. Do you make your own sourdough? If not, this might be a good time to start, because baking your own bread and making your own sourdough starter will give you an extremely cheap (and toothsome) kvass. At if, for instance, you’re of my husband, Jake’s, ilk, it is important to keep the price low. I swear, he wants me making bread kvass all the time, and I don’t blame him. Its unique taste can definitely be addictive, and although it’s one I waited a long time to make, it’s really simple! I made my first bread kvass earlier in the year, after I appeared on the FermUp! podcast. Brendan of FermUp! mentioned that he liked it and it wasn’t as tricky to make as I had feared. In fact, it’s so simple that it’s become one of my favorites.
One thing I really love about kvass is that it’s a really quick ferment (relatively speaking). I can start the process on Friday night and have kvass by Saturday night. A refreshing change for me, since I usually have to stand around drooling for days, weeks or months while my ferments are getting themselves in shape. It is also–surprise surprise–versatile as hell. You can really use any kind of bread, seasoning or starter and end up with an interesting result.
I recently gave a talk at my favorite homebrew outlet and I brought the most traditional form of bread kvass I know. It is full of unexpected flavor combinations and reminiscent of a not-very-acidic rye beer. Ever since I was a kid, going with my dad to Star Bakery to pick up my maternal grandmother’s favorite loaves (my sister and I were always given complimentary butter cookies with sprinkles on top, so you can bet we volunteered to go on the 25-minute drive), I’ve adored rye bread. My absolute favorite was the onion rye (which I have still not been able to replicate in my own oven, sadly), but really anything loaded with caraway seeds sets my mouth to watering. Rye is the version I make most often, but since I’m in a decadent drinks mood lately, I’m sharing a fun version instead. You can make this with any kind of bread and seasonings, so let your imagination wander. I recommend using homemade bread and sourdough starter, since this could otherwise be a pricey beverage.
Fizziness is optional and, according to Sandor Ellix Katz in The Art of Fermentation, not traditional, so it’s your choice whether to put your kvass into a sealing vessel to ferment or not. I usually like mine a tiny bit fizzy, but I skip it if I’m short on sealing containers. Still tastes pretty tasty.
CINNAMON RAISIN BREAD KVASS
Inspired by Sandor Katz’ Bread Kvass in The Art of Fermentation
Yield will differ depending on the size of your loaf. A half gallon is a good guess, though. If your yield is lower, adjust post-soaking ingredients accordingly.
Stale bread works great here. One more way fermentation can help prevent food waste!
Equipment
- Cheesecloth and/or a fine mesh strainer
- Large pot or vessel
- 1/2 gallon or 2 quart jars or fliptop bottles, or 1.5 or two liter plastic, sealing drinking containers (such as a soda 2-liter), well cleaned
Ingredients
- 1 loaf cinnamon raisin bread, sliced
- 8-10 cups of filtered water
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 1 vanilla bean, sliced lengthwise from end to end (optional)
- 2 T fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 T sourdough starter (or 1/4 t bread yeast or 1/4 cup active ginger bug)
How-To
- Toast your bread slices, until dried out, but not burnt
- While they’re toasting, bring 10 cups of water to a boil
- When toast is done, place cinnamon sticks and vanilla bean in a large pot and pour the hot water over them until just covered (you may not use all of your water). The bread will rise, so use a wooden spoon to keep it pressed down while you pour, so you know when you have enough water in your vessel.
- Once the bread is submerged, put a plate on top of it to keep it under the water, and cover the whole thing as securely as possible with a cloth.
- Let it sit overnight (I sometimes do this process in the morning, and then complete the next steps after work. 8-10 hours of soaking is sufficient).
- Line a colander with cheesecloth or get your fine mesh strainer.
- Working in batches, pour the liqud through the cheesecloth/strainer and then squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the bread. Be very gentle. You don’t want bread particles going through into your strained liquid, but you want to harvest as much liquid as possible.
- If you want to squeeze and be done, that’s fine. You can get another cup or so out of your loaf by putting cheesecolth into your salad spinner, placing your already mushed and strained bread in the cheesecloth and spinning it like crazy. I do about 3 rounds of this then I compost the wet bread.
- Measure remaining liquid. I generally get back about 75%-80% of what I put in. 7.5-8 cups of liquid will use the above quantities of added spices/starters. Adjust according to your yield.
- Add lemon juice and maple syrup to your liquid and stir until dissolved.
- Add starter and stir until dissolved.
- At this point, you can cover your vessel and let it sit until bubbly, and then put it in a jar or sealing bottle. Or, you can bottle/jar it immediately. IF you use a glass container, place a raisin inside so that when it floats to the top, you know it’s time for it to hit the fridge. If bottling in a glass container, open with extreme caution. Actually, if you’re sealing it into any kind of container, open with extreme caution.
I’ll be pouring this kvass and a rye kvass (among other things) tomorrow night at a talk I’m giving on fermented foods and beverages, as part of the South Philly Lecture Series, at Circle of Hope, 1125 South Broad Street, 7:30pm. This is a free event. Details and RSVP here.
And if you want to join the world of fermented (legally speaking) alcohol-free drinks, join me for an afternoon of fun soda-craft at Greensgrow on Saturday. We’ll be making soda four ways and sampling lots of tasty brews, some probiotic, some yeasty, some kombucha.
Hope to see you there!
mike landers says
Hey Amanda!
Do u know if the raisin floating trick works for kombucha as well? I’ve heard of people adding rasins to bottled kombucha but I thought it was just for extra sugars for the scoby to eat? Is it a reliable tester of carbonation? I have been doing one plastic bottle as a tester with my Grolsch swing top bottles…
Phil says
Can you make bread kvass with sourdough bread made with a combination of (mostly)white flour and whole wheat? It was a very sour sourdough, and as I said, mostly white. Most of the recipes I’ve been able to find stress that it has to be a very dark rye, or at least a rye, and that white flour breads won’t “turn out,” with no explanation of what that exactly means: a different flavor than the traditional, a foul taste…?
Varying reasons are given, but usually there’s none – there just don’t seem to be a lot of recipes that a white or lighter flour bread than rye for kvass that anybody’s even tried. Just curious of your thoughts on it.
Amanda says
Hi! You can make bread kvass with any kind of bread. I promise you. I’ve used baguettes, fruit cake or whatever else isn’t looking like it’s going to get eaten. The only trick with breads that are less flavorful than, say, a rye is to carefully season. Use more herbs or fruits and I think you’ll be very happy with the results!
Phil says
Thanks, it’s appreciated! Maybe I should’ve mentioned that I already started a batch with some stale sourdough bread I’d made from a wild yeast starter, it’s about 60/40, whole wheat to white flour.
I’d tried a few other places with this question, but didn’t really get any answers, so I thought I’d just go ahead and start a batch. It’s fermenting in the refrigerator now and should be ready by tomorrow. It does look a little odd – separated initially in 3 distinct layers after a few hours in the fridge yesterday, each thicker than the one below it. Now, it’s just 2 layers, but the bottom layer is very cloudy and whitish, while the top is more yellow, similar to the color of wheat beer.
The cloudy whitish layer is a little worrying to me, because I already did the straining part and didn’t think there should be so much particulate matter, if that’s what it is.
when I open to let out a little air, it’s a strong, but not too, doughy smell. Anyhow – more than you wanted to know, I’m sure. Tastes ok when I sample it (I used a few raisins), but definitely was more fizziness yesterday than today.
Amanda says
Hi Phil,
I would not recommend doing bread kvass fermentation in the fridge. Since it’s a short fermentation and most importantly a yeast fermentation, the cold won’t do it any favors, and it could definitely kill some of the yeasts you want active.
I’m not sure about your white film without seeing it, but I have found that even with very careful straining, there can still be bread particles left in there. Although in my experience, those mostly sink to the bottom.
How did you like it when it was done? Did it end up tasting/smelling okay to consume?
Phil says
It smells and tastes ok to me – a little strong smelling, and not the most pleasant, but not unpleasant either. My fiance does not agree, so I think I’ll be drinking the majority of this brew myself. But, I can see how it’s definitely an acquired taste.
I did leave it out initially at room temperature for about 13 hours, after the last straining, before I put it in the fridge. Some of the containers are more fizzy than others, but I’ll go ahead and call this batch a success, and thanks very much for your help, I look forward to trying some recipes from your blog.
Amanda says
No problem! I can see how some people wouldn’t like it, but I think if you like bread and/or beer and fizzy drinks, it’s pretty much going to be a winner. Thanks for letting me know how it turned out!
Amanda
cv says
Will it even work with your Sourdough Buckwheat Bread?
Thanks!
cv says
Better yet, a cinnamon raisin version of your Sourdough Buckwheat Bread?
Amanda says
I love it! Let me know if you make that!
virvirusa says
Help! I used a raisin rye cinnamon loaf and could barely get 1/4cup of liquid out of the whole thing. The loaf absorbed most of the 9 cups of water I put in. It was unsqueezable, as the bread turned into gelatinized mush overnight. The salad spinner method did not produce any liquid whatsoever. I did everything as directed except that I let it soak for 11 hours instead of the recommended 8-10 hours. Where have I gone wrong?
Amanda says
Hi!
It is supposed to be mush, so I don’t think you did anything wrong other than not strain sufficiently. I would use cheesecloth and hang it if you’re unable to do it with any of the other methods described in the post.
Good luck!
Khaltzane says
Thank you for the info that it can be made gluten free. My housemate really wanted to try kvass but I wasn’t sure if it was safe for her.