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You need to try these South African Buttermilk Yeast Rusks recipe
What is Rusks?
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.
Buttermilk Yeast Rusks
I LOVE baking! Baking yeast rusks used to be my one nemesis but I think I’ve got it now.
Use a kitchen scale when baking for best results
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Drying Time: 6 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Total Time: 7 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 2 x 13 x 4 x 4“ loaves 1x
- Category: Recipes
- Cuisine: South African
Ingredients
- 1 kg all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp instant yeast
- 2 cup buttermilk
- 100 ml butter, melted
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- Lukewarm water
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix flour, salt, and sugar.
- Add yeast and mix well.
- Heat buttermilk until lukewarm and mix with butter.
- Mix buttermilk mixture and eggs with flour mixture.
- If needed, add a bit of water to make a soft dough. ( I added water and the dough was too sticky. I had to add more flour to make it workable.)
- Knead the dough for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Using a stand mixer, if you have one, is the best way!
- Cover with a damp cloth and proof until doubled in size.
- Roll dough into balls and place close to each other in greased loaf tins.
- Dough balls should be about 2” across.
- I have big 13 x 4 x 4“ loaf tins.
- The dough fills two of those.
- Proof again until dough reaches the top of the tins (about 40 – 60mins).
- Bake at 350F for about 40 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cool on wire racks.
- Break apart and slice each rusk in half before drying in a low oven (180F) for about 6h.
- Or eat warm from the oven with butter.
Notes
Prepared, tried, and tested owner, Christl Honiball-Aucamp from The Recipe Hunter: Tried and Tested Recipes from Home Chefs
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 184
- Sugar: 8
- Sodium: 213
- Fat: 3
- Saturated Fat: 2
- Unsaturated Fat: 1
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 33
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 5
- Cholesterol: 20
Keywords: buttermilk rusks with yeast

Turned out perfect thanks so much for sharing
Hi Martha, WOW, I am so happy to hear it turned out well and that you love it. Should you have a moment to spare I will truly appreciate your support to revert back to this recipe, and at the very bottom leave us a rating and review since you made it. This is always extremely beneficial especially for other readers to see that you love it and made it. Thanks in advance for your time and help. Enjoy the rest of the Rusks.