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You’re gonna appreciate this; a simple, authentic bread kvas that doesn’t need a concentrate! My hubby’s cousin, Angelina, shared this recipe with us. We’ve made it with rye bread and with black bread and both were so refreshing! New favorite for sure – thanks Angelina!
This kvass lasts up to a week in the fridge (probably longer, but it might start tasting kinda strong). You’ll notice it loses sweetness daily as it stands. I think it’s best after a full day in the fridge.
Bread Kvas is uber popular in Russia and Ukraine. You might compare it to a sweet, non-alcoholic beer. From my research, kvass only has up to 1% alcohol content (still probably not recommended for pregos). The longer it sits in the fridge, the more slightly “alcoholic” it gets, but it’s still considered non-alcoholic.
So if you drink it in the first day or 2, there is probably no alcohol in there yet. From what my readers have said, it’s best to store kvas in plastic soda bottles since they are designed to hold pressurized drinks. I like to release the pressure from my bottles 1-2 times a day because an over-inflated bottle just makes me nervous.
Ingredients for Bread Kvas:
2.5 gallons or 10 qtof water
1 lb or 9 slices of classic black, dark or rye bread
1 handful of raisins
1.8 lb (4 cups) of sugar
1.5 Tbsp of active dry yeast
3 large plastic soda bottles
How to Make Russian Bread Kvas: (best if prepared in the evening)
DAY 1:
1. Fill giant stock pot with 2.5 gallons of water (or divide it into two large pots) and bring to a boil.
2. While waiting, toast the bread slices twice on the darkest toaster setting. Yes. Seriously. Darker bread makes darker kvass. Toast bread either outside or in your garage or your house will get smokey. We learned the hard way :). It should look like the photo below.
3.When water starts to boil, remove the pot from heat.Add a handful of raisins and toasted bread to the pot, cover with the lid and let it stay overnight or at least 8 hours.
DAY 2:
4. Carefully remove toasted bread and discard it.
5. In a medium bowl, mix together 4 cups of sugar and 1.5 Tbsp of yeast, add them to kvas mixture and stir.
6. Cover with plastic wrap or lid and leave the mixture on the counter for another 6 hours, stirring every couple hours.
7. Discard floating raisins by scooping them up witha large spoon. Using strainer or cheese cloth, pour kvass into bottles, loosely cover with lid and refrigerate overnight. The following day once the bottles are completely chilled, you can tighten the lid.
P.S. According to my readers, it’s best to store kvas in plastic soda bottles since they are designed to hold pressurized drinks.
DAY 3: enjoy
DAY 4: enjoy
DAY 5: …..did it really last that long?
How do you make your kvass?
Easy Bread Kvas Recipe
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
Prep Time: 14 hours hrs
Total Time: 14 hours hrs
Ingredients
Servings: 20 -24
- 2.5 gallons or 10 qt of water
- 1 lb or 9 slices of classic black, dark or rye bread
- 1 handful of raisins
- 1.8 lb 4 cups of sugar
- 1.5 tablespoons of active dry yeast
- 3 large plastic soda bottles
Instructions
DAY 1: (best if prepared in the evening)
Fill giant stock pot with 2.5 gallons of water (or divide it into two large pots) and bring to a boil.
While waiting, toast the bread slices twice on the darkest toaster setting. Darker bread makes darker kvass. Toast bread either outside or in your garage or your house will get smokey.
When water starts to boil, remove the pot from heat. Add a handful of raisins and toasted bread to the pot, cover with the lid and let it stay overnight or at least 8 hours.
DAY 2:
Carefully remove toasted bread and discard it.
In a medium bowl, mix together 4 cups of sugar and 1.5 Tbsp of yeast, add them to kvas mixture and stir.
Cover with plastic wrap or lid and leave the mixture on the counter for another 6 hours, stirring every couple hours.
Discard floating raisins by scooping them up with a large spoon. Using strainer or cheese cloth, pour kvass into bottles, loosely cover with lid and refrigerate overnight. The following day once the bottles are completely chilled, you can tighten the lid.
Notes
P.S. According to my readers, it's best to store kvas in plastic soda bottles since they are designed to hold pressurized drinks.
- Full Nutrition Label
- Nutrition Disclosure
Course: Beverage
Cuisine: Russian, Ukrainian
Keyword: Easy Bread Kvas, Russian kvass
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $
Natasha Kravchuk
Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.
Read more posts by Natasha
FAQs
In a medium bowl, mix together 4 cups of sugar and 1.5 Tbsp of yeast, add them to kvas mixture and stir.
How to make kvass more alcoholic? ›
Despite being a fermented drink, the alcohol content of kvass is typically very low. Of course, if you ferment for longer, or add more yeast and sugar, the alcohol will increase, but if you follow most homemade kvass recipes, the alcohol content is unlikely to exceed 1.5%.
How long does kvass last? ›
The shelf-life of kvass is around 4-8 weeks from the moment you receive your order. Always remember that Quas can only be stored in the fridge.
What is kvas made of? ›
In the traditional method, kvass is made from a mash obtained from rye bread or rye flour and malt soaked in hot water, fermented for about 12 hours with the help of sugar and bread yeast or baker's yeast at room temperature.
How much yeast is enough? ›
Depending on the recipe and rising time, you may use as little as 1 teaspoon, or up to 2 1/4 teaspoons (sometimes more) of instant yeast per pound (about 4 cups) of flour.
How many grams of yeast should I use? ›
As a rule of thumb, use: 1.4% of the weight of flour you are using (for example, 14g yeast per 1kg of flour) fast-acting yeast. 1% for dried yeast. 2% for fresh yeast.
Can you get buzzed from kvass? ›
Usually, kvass contains not more than 1.5% of alcohol by volume, but if it stands for longer time, the concentration can become 2.5% or higher. Unlike beer, the kvass is generally considered to be a nonalcoholic beverage and is drunk by children of all ages without any limit.
How long should I ferment my kvass? ›
Depending on the temperature, after 2 or 3 days you should have a nice fermentation going. The drink is now ready to enjoy. It may be a good idea to place a plate under the jar, as sometimes when the fermentation is very active it can push the fruits/berries up and some leakage may occur.
Is bread kvass healthy? ›
Nutrition Facts
Kvass is considered a “functional food” because it offers a wide range of probiotics and nutrients, including vitamin B12, selenium and manganese. If made with beets, it also contains a good dose of antioxidants, natural nitrates, vitamins A and C, and potassium.
Is kvass legal in America? ›
“Is Kvass considered alcoholic under US law?” Kvass can have as much as 1 percent ABV. Each state has its own laws so that might count is one state but not in another state. The most common rule in US states is 1 percent ABV and down don't count as alcoholic beverages.
What if my kvass isn't red enough? Over the course of a few days, you will see the color of the beet bleed into the clear water, leaving the finished kvass a blood-red color. If it's a very light pink color, the kvass is not ready.
How often should you drink kvass? ›
Adults: 10mls twice daily, building toward 50mls twice daily. Children: 10 - 30mls once per day, building toward twice daily. CAN I TAKE IT WITH FOOD? When taken with food, Kvass has the added advantage of aiding digestion and promoting the absorption of minerals.
Can kids drink kvas? ›
It is known as a slightly fermented rye bread drink. It contains less than 1 % of alcohol, so even children are allowed to drink it. Once tasted this soft drink in Russia during the Moscow tour with Moscow tour guide, you want to make it in your home country. Please follow the directions of the recipe.
Can you mix kvass with vodka? ›
Make the gimlets: In a co*cktail shaker filled halfway with ice, combine 3 ounces of the prepared beet kvass, the vodka, and lemon juice; shake vigorously to chill, then pour into two ice-filled glasses. Serve immediately. Extra kvass will keep fizzy in a sealed container for up to 10 days.
Do Muslims drink kvass? ›
I believe countries like Iran have set the threshold to 1% concentration, anything up is haram and anything below is halal. Kvass is considered non-alcoholic to low alcohol drink, which means it contains the natural amount of alcohol that can be found in fruits. so it will be ok to drink it.
How much yeast should I use for fermentation? ›
Typical usage rate for yeast is 1 gm / gallon of juice, but being a little short or a little long is not a problem, as yeast reproduces to reach a number at which fermentation takes place. Being slightly long on usage amount simply gets the fermentation count up that much faster.
What is the ratio of yeast to juice? ›
After that, you can simply wait until the bubbling stops, usually a few days to a couple of weeks after that, and then you can sift off the flocculated yeast and try your slightly fizzy wine. If you want to go the commercial route, the general rule of thumb is 1 gram of yeast per 1 gallon of grape juice (must).
How do I know how much yeast to add? ›
General amounts of yeast are around 1 - 2 % of the flour, by weight. Too much yeast could cause the dough to go flat by releasing gas before the flour is ready to expand.
How much brewing yeast to use? ›
A good way to remember how much dry yeast to pitch: For ales and 5 gallon batches, use approximately 5.5 grams of dry yeast for every . 025 SG points. So for 1.050 use 11 grams.
