There is nothing better than Buttermilk Biscotti Rusks to dunk in your coffee at breakfast in the morning.

What is a Rusk?

A rusk is a hard, dry biscuit or a twice-baked bread. It is sometimes used as a teether for babies. In some cultures, rusk is made of cake, rather than bread: this is sometimes referred to as cake rusk. In the UK, the name also refers to a wheat-based food additive.

Definition of a South African Rusk

Rusks is the anglicized term for beskuit and is a traditional Afrikaner breakfast meal or snack. They have been dried in South Africa since the late 1690s as a way of preserving bread, especially when traveling long distances without refrigeration. Their use continued through the Great Trek and the Boer Wars through to the modern day. Rusks are typically dunked in coffee or tea before being eaten.

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Buttermilk Biscotti Rusks

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I have been on a baking binge, and just had to make a couple of batches of this classic! It just can't be beat.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Drying Time 5 hours

Total Time 5 hours 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 250g butter
• 200mL sugar (I'm always the first one to decrease the sugar in any recipe, but in this case, I actually use more! I think I went up to about a cup-and-a-half at least)
• 10mL salt (I omit this as I use salted butter)
• 500mL buttermilk
• 1 kg self-rising flour
• 5 mL baking powder
• 2 large eggs

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F and grease large, flat baking tray/s.
2. I have used several sizes & shapes of baking tins and trays. Nothing works as well as a very shallow, flat tray.
3. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
4. Add sugar (and salt, if using) and stir until dissolved. Add buttermilk.
5. Heat only slightly until warm but not hot.
6. Sift flour and baking powder together in a large bowl. Add beaten eggs to a lukewarm buttermilk mixture. Pour liquid into flour and mix.
7. Again, I have tried all sorts of strategies here: stand mixer, hand mixer, and a good old wooden spoon. The only one that works is doing it by hand (with the wooden spoon) and being careful not to overmix. It must be fluffy and light.
8. Then carefully scoop it into the baking trays.
9. Spread very lightly to the edges. Do not press the dough - keep it light and just pull it with your fingers to cover the pan.
10. If you are lucky, you might have the cutter that fits into the pan like I do (thanks to the best gift from my mom!!). If so, oil the cutter well and cut the dough before baking.
11. Then bake for about 30 mins. Keep an eye on it as it could bake faster since it is thin.
12. Remove from pans and break or cut apart.
13. Then place the rusks directly onto the oven racks, turn the oven to exceptionally low heat (I used 175°F), prop the door open with a spoon, and dry for several hours until fully dry throughout.
14. Nothing like it with a cup of coffee for dipping!!

Notes

Prepared, tried, and tested by Corlea Smit from The Recipe Hunter: Tried and Tested Recipes from Home Chefs and SATasty Recipes - Saffas Daily Recipes

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We do have lots of similar recipes for Rusks

• Buttermilk Yeast Rusks
• Vegan Rusks / Biscotti
• Whole-Wheat and Oats Bran Rusks

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