For 20 plus years I have baked rusks monthly for quick breakfasts.
I devised a recipe using Kook en Geniet and others which enables me to complete the task in a day.
Ingredients:
12 cups all-purpose flour
200 grams butter
2 packets of rapid rise yeast
2 – 3 cups sugar or sugar substitute (my husband is a diabetic)
Approximately 5-6 cups of tepid water.
Method:
Rub butter in to flour and add sugar
Dissolve two packets of yeast with a teaspoon of sugar in tepid water until the yeast is frothing
Add yeast to flour
Add water, one cup at a time, until the dough is formed.
The dough is right when it no longer sticks to your hands.
Knead for 15 minutes.
I use the dough hook of a Kitchen Aid machine.
Place the dough in greased bowls (I use Pam) and allow to rise in the oven at very low temperature: 170 degrees fahrenheit (75C) until it has doubled in size.
Compress the dough gently and place 2 “balls” of dough in each baking tin and return to the oven to rise.
Remove from the oven and increase the temperature to 400 F (200 C) and bake for 25 – 35 mins depending on whether you are using a conventional or convection oven.
You will know the loaves are done when you get a hollow sound when tapping the bottom of the loaf.
The whole process up to this point takes about 4 hours.
Allow to cool and cut into slices and place on baking tray. Heat oven to 400 F (200 C) and switch off.
Place tray of rusks into oven and leave them until the oven is cold.
You may have to do this twice depending on how thick you cut the rusks.
Prepared, tried and tested by: Joyce Gonin