Description
You can make this the standard/regular way or veganize it if you prefer. This is a true hit in our family and I bake this on a regular basis!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2.6 cups - 625 ml buttermilk or vegan milk
- 2 tsp white vinegar, if using regular milk or plant-based milk instead of buttermilk
- 1 cup - 250 ml canola oil
- 1.5 - 2 cups - 375 to 500 ml sugar, depending on your preferred sweetness
- 2 L whole wheat flour, measured as 8 cups
- 90 ml baking powder, measured as 18 tsp
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 8 Weetabix biscuits, crushed into fine crumbs
- 1 cup - 250 ml sunflower seeds, and 1 cup - 250 ml pumpkin seeds, or a mixture of your favourite nuts and seeds
Instructions
- If you’re using regular milk or plant based milk, pour 625 ml milk into a jug, stir in 2 tsp white vinegar, and leave it for 10 minutes. It may look slightly curdled, which is perfectly fine. If you’re using buttermilk, skip the vinegar.
- Stir 250 ml canola oil and your chosen amount of sugar, either 375 ml for a less sweet rusk or 500 ml for a sweeter batch, into the milk or buttermilk mixture until combined.
- In a very large mixing bowl, combine 2 L whole wheat flour, 90 ml baking powder, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp baking soda, the 8 crushed Weetabix biscuits, and 250 ml sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or your chosen nut and seed mixture. Mix thoroughly so the raising agents and seeds are evenly distributed.
- Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Pour in the milk, oil, and sugar mixture, then stir with a sturdy spatula until everything is evenly combined and no dry flour remains. The dough will be thick and sticky, so don’t expect it to resemble a smooth bread dough.
- Lightly grease your rusk pan or a deep baking pan with cooking spray. Transfer the dough into the pan and spread it evenly. With lightly oiled hands or an oiled spatula, press the dough into the corners and level the surface. Aim for an even thickness so the rusks bake consistently.
- Use an oiled knife or your greased rusk cutter to mark the dough into individual rusks. Cut deeply enough to make the portions easy to separate after baking, but don’t worry if they’re not perfectly uniform.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 400⁰F (200⁰C) for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out without wet batter. If you’re using a particularly deep pan, check the centre carefully and allow extra baking time if needed.
- Remove the pan from the oven and leave the baked slab to cool in the pan until it’s firm enough to handle, approximately 45 to 60 minutes. Carefully turn it out, separate the rusks along the marked lines, and cut through any sections that haven’t separated cleanly.
- Arrange the rusks in a single layer on a wire rack set over a baking tray. Place them in an oven preheated to 190⁰F (85⁰C) and leave them to dry for approximately 5 to 6 hours, or until they’re thoroughly dry and crisp throughout. Keep the oven door slightly ajar only if your oven’s manufacturer permits it and the oven can maintain a safe, steady low temperature.
- Let the rusks cool completely before packing them into a clean, dry, airtight container. Enjoy them with coffee, tea, or your favourite hot drink.
Notes
Prepared, tried, and tested by Esme of SA Tasty Recipes – Saffas Daily Recipes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2
- Calories: 232
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 773
- Fat: 12
- Saturated Fat: 1
- Unsaturated Fat: 10
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 27
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 7
- Cholesterol: 3
