No. 3521 — Red Bread Kvass

For at least 12 vedros kvass the source gives 1 pud rye flour, 3 pounds wheat flour, 3 pounds buckwheat flour, 1 garnetz each barley, rye and wheat malt, 2 glasses yeast mixture and ½ pound mint.

Combine the rye flour and all the malt with the wheat and buckwheat flour, reserving 1 pound each of those two flours. Make a thick dough with a little warm water, then scald it with a pot of boiling water and stir smooth.

Heat the bread oven. Put a ladle of cold water into each of two iron cooking pots, distribute the dough among them and bake in the very hot swept oven with coals at the sides, sealing the opening with clay.

After 24 hours take the pots out, fill with warm water and stand for 1½–2 hours to soften their crusts. Return the dough to a tub, mix thoroughly with 2 vedros boiling water and 4 vedros cold water, stir repeatedly, add a little ice and let settle.

Meanwhile prepare a starter from about 2 ladles of clear wort taken from the top, the reserved 1 pound wheat flour and 1 pound buckwheat flour, and about 2 glasses yeast. Mix, cover, warm and let rise.

Pour the settled 6 vedros wort into a 12-vedro barrel and add the risen starter. Refill the tub containing the cooled dough with about 6 vedros cold water, stir, let settle and pour that liquor into the same barrel.

Boil a little kvass with the mint, remove from heat, cover and cool, then strain into the barrel or add the mint itself. Cork and move to a cool cellar in summer or a dry unfrozen basement in winter.

The author says the kvass may be drunk after two days.