SC - Bread Crumb Thickening

[Philip & Susan Troy]

>I took some boiling water and added some pnkl bread and honey.  when
>it cooled i added a couple mint leaves, and pitched the yeast.
>i let it ferment and fed it honey over several weeks...
>Straining it was a pain, let me tell you.. ;)
>
>I mentioned I had some to a ukrainian friend who agreed to try it.  He
>said it was definatly kvas, but *extreamly* strong... apparently it
>was more of a kvas wine.. ;)

Good gods, I'll say!  LIGHTLY fermented, lightly fermented!  No more than a
few days, please!  After all, most Russians give this stuff to their
children as a summertime beverage and specifically call it a non-alcoholic
beverage (it only has a teeny little bit of alcohol when it is ready).

Most of the Russian recipes for bread kvas I've seen call for the bread to
be dried first.  The finished rusks are called "sukhari", which translates
directly to "dried things."  I know some recipes toast the bread, but since
the prepared bread (in the Russian recipes, anyway) is usually called
"sukhari" and not "grenoki" (toasted/grilled breads), I'm not sure toasted
bread would be right for making kvas, at least not this variety (there are
lots, after all).  Just theorizing here, I have no proof.

- --Yana