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Sourdough Soda (Fermented Cinnamon & Raisin Drink)

Sourdough soda drink

A refreshing, lightly sparkling kvass-style drink made from toasted stale sourdough, cinnamon, and raisins.
Low sugar, gut-supportive, hydrating — and completely natural.

🥤 Ingredients (1.5–2 L)​

  • 200–250 g stale sourdough bread (ideally wholegrain or rye-based)
  • 1.5 L water
  • 50–70 g sugar or honey (fuel for fermentation; most is consumed)
  • 1 small handful raisins (10–15)
  • 1 cinnamon stick (or ½ tsp ground cinnamon)
  • Optional but helpful: 1 tbsp active sourdough starter
  • Optional flavour extras:
    • strip of lemon peel
    • a few cloves
    • thin slice of fresh ginger

🍞 Method​

  1. Toast the bread
    Cut the stale sourdough into chunks and toast at 180 °C until deep golden-brown with some darker edges.
    This builds flavour, colour, and melanoidin/antioxidant complexity.

  2. Make the infusion
    Add the toasted bread, raisins, cinnamon (and any optional peel/spices) to a large pot.
    Pour over 1.5 L of water.
    Bring just to a gentle simmer for 5–10 minutes, then switch off the heat.

  3. Steep and cool
    Let the mixture steep as it cools to room temperature (about 1–2 hours).
    You’re making a flavoured, bread-based “tea” as the base of the soda.

  4. Strain
    Pour through a fine sieve or cheesecloth into a fermentation jug or large jar.
    Gently press the bread to extract liquid, but don’t mash it into paste.

  5. Sweeten and inoculate
    Once the liquid is just warm (not hot), stir in the 50–70 g sugar or honey until fully dissolved.
    If using, add 1 tbsp sourdough starter and stir again.

  6. Primary fermentation (12–36 hours)
    Cover the jar with a clean cloth or a loose lid.
    Leave at room temperature for 12–36 hours.

    • At ~12 h: very mild tang, little fizz
    • At ~24 h: more flavour, light carbonation
    • At ~36+ h: tangier, more pronounced fermentation
      Taste every 8–12 h and stop when it reaches a pleasant balance of light sourness and gentle fizz.

  7. Bottle and carbonate
    Strain again if needed into clean swing-top bottles or screw-cap glass bottles.
    Add 2–3 fresh raisins to each bottle (traditional kvass trick: they float when it’s ready).
    Seal and leave at room temperature for 6–12 hours to build carbonation.

  8. Chill and serve
    Move bottles to the fridge to slow fermentation.
    Open carefully (over the sink the first time), pour into a glass, and enjoy chilled.

🌿 Notes & Variations​

  • Best consumed within 3–4 days for optimal flavour and low alcohol (typically well under 1% if timings are modest).
  • For a more citrusy profile, add lemon peel and reduce cinnamon slightly.
  • For a ginger version, add a thin slice of fresh ginger during the initial simmer, then remove before bottling.
  • If you prefer it less sweet, ferment closer to the 36-hour mark so more sugar is consumed by the microbes.

🔍 BRAIN Diet Snapshot​

  • Systems targeted: Gut–brain axis, hydration, mild SCFA support, emotional regulation (sensory / olfactory), circadian-friendly evening drink.
  • UPF profile: 100% non-UPF; uses simple ingredients and fermentation rather than additives.
  • Use case: As a low-sugar, low-alcohol alternative to soft drinks in the evening, or as a gentle digestive drink with meals.

🧠 Scientific Sidebar

Mechanistic Notes (Gut–Brain Axis, SCFAs, Neurochemistry)

1. Fermentation & the Gut–Brain Axis​

  • The drink captures lactic acid bacteria and wild yeasts originating from the sourdough bread.
  • Fermentation generates organic acids (lactate, acetate) and a modest range of postbiotic molecules (small peptides, microbial metabolites).
  • Even in low doses, these can help shape the gut environment and support vagal signalling and gut–brain communication.

2. SCFA Potential (Downstream)​

  • The drink itself is not a fibre source, but regular fermented-food intake is associated with:
    • increased diversity of SCFA-producing microbes
    • improved production of butyrate, acetate and propionate when the overall diet is fibre-rich.
  • In the context of the BRAIN Diet, this drink is a supporting ferment alongside fibre-rich meals, not a stand-alone SCFA source.

3. Mineral & B-Vitamin Availability​

  • Prolonged soaking and simmering of sourdough bread can solubilise:
    • magnesium
    • potassium
    • trace zinc
    • a fraction of B-vitamins (notably B1, B3, B6; heat-sensitive losses partly offset by prior sourdough fermentation).
  • Sourdough fermentation itself reduces phytates, which can enhance mineral bioavailability in the crumbs used.

4. Polyphenols, Melanoidins & Antioxidant Effects​

  • Toasting the bread to a deep golden-brown creates melanoidins and transforms existing polyphenols.
  • These Maillard-derived compounds may act as mild antioxidants and prebiotics, supporting beneficial gut bacteria and lowering oxidative stress.

5. Glycaemic and HPA Axis Considerations​

  • Most of the added sugar is consumed by microbes during fermentation, reducing the final glycaemic load.
  • Compared to sweet soft drinks, sourdough soda is much less likely to cause rapid glucose spikes and downstream cortisol / adrenaline surges, offering a calmer metabolic profile that aligns with ADHD and mood-stability goals.

6. Sensory & Emotional Regulation​

  • The combination of gentle carbonation, cinnamon aroma, mild acidity and ritual (toasting, brewing, bottling) offers:
    • sensory richness without ultra-processed hyper-stimulation
    • a calming, predictable evening drink pattern
    • potential support for emotional regulation via olfactory–limbic pathways and reduced reliance on sugary or alcoholic drinks.

Foods​

no foods found

Biological Target Matrix​

No foods found for recipe: Sourdough Soda (Fermented Cinnamon & Raisin Drink)