Kvass is a traditional Russian drink that perfectly quenches thirst in the heat. It is much healthier than carbonated drinks or store juices with lots of sugar. In addition, the recipe for kvass from rye bread is not so complicated - it is quite possible to make a drink at home. Even inexperienced housewives will be able to cope with the preparation of a fragrant drink. The main condition for success is leaven.
Making homemade sourdough
Of course, you can make kvass from rye bread bought in a store. But it will be tastier and more useful to try to make bread sourdough yourself and bake your own homemade loaf. It will take almost a week to cook it, but don’t be afraid right away - the process is worth it, and besides, it needs to be done only once. Then you will always have in stock excellent sourdough. You will need a jar of large volume, four hundred grams of rye flour and four hundred and fifty - pure water. Be prepared for the fact that the starter culture may have an unpleasant odor. This phenomenon is normal and does not mean that something is going wrong.
So, to make the basis from which to make the dough, and then homemade kvass from rye bread, on the first day of cooking, mix one hundred grams of flour and one hundred and fifty milliliters of warm water. It should never be hot. The temperature should be below forty degrees, otherwise the lactic acid bacteria present in the rye flour will die, which means that neither the starter nor the kvass from the rye bread will not work. The mixture will resemble a batter with the consistency of sour cream.
Cover the jar with a towel and send to a warm place until the next day. On the second day, mix the mixture and add another hundred grams of flour and one hundred - warm water. Mix again and remove to heat by covering with a towel. Repeat on the third day the same actions as on the second. In the fourth, do the same. Finally, on the fifth day, sourdough can be used for baking bread. Use it as a dough, leaving some liquid for the next time. You can also leave just a piece of freshly baked loaf for further souring.
We make kvass from rye bread, baked by our own hands
For
homemade kvass, you need a very large capacity tank. Take three kilograms of stale bread, eighteen liters of boiling water, fifty grams of fresh yeast or two tablespoons of dried, a pound of sugar, one lemon and raisins to taste. Cut the
rye bread starting to stale into slices and put in a bowl. Pour boiling water over cool and cover with a cloth. Leave the mixture for eight hours. After the specified period, strain the liquid into another container. Bread can be thrown away. Add bread yeast, sugar and lemon to the liquid. Stir the drink thoroughly and leave again for eight hours, covering it with a lid. After eight hours, the liquid will need to be filtered through a sieve with gauze. Kvass from rye bread will be finally ready for use after you fill it in bottles, put a few zest in each, cork and wait a few days for it to cool. Believe me, the result will exceed all your expectations.