I live in the UK but I originally come from South Africa. Every now and again I dig out the recipe book and indulge myself in a few recipes from home. So last week after a " when will you make some more rusks again? " plea from my family I got baking.
Buttermilk Rusks ( South-African recipe )
Rusks are a national institution in South Africa, especially Ouma’s rusks. Dry and dense, they were designed to last a long time for pioneers travelling in the wilderness. They can be eaten as they are or dunked in tea or coffee for that early morning snack or mid-morning break.
Ingredients: ( Makes about 15-18 rusks )
500g self raising flour
1 egg
100ml sugar
95g butter, melted
250ml buttermilk
½ tsp ( 2.5ml) baking powder
1 tsp (5ml) salt
1. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.
2. Beat the egg, sugar and buttermilk together.
3. Cut the wet mixture into the dry ingredients with a knife.
4. Knead the dough lightly, gradually adding the melted butter while kneading. This will take about 7 minutes.
5. Roll dough into balls about the size of a golf ball and pack the balls next to eachother into a loaf tin. The balls should reach about ⅔ of the height of the tin.
6. Bake at 180 degrees C ( 350 degrees F) for about 45 minutes.
7. Turn out onto a cooling rack and when cool enough to handle break into individual rusks.
8. Lower the heat of the oven to 100 degrees C ( 200 degrees F ) or less and dry the rusks in the oven. Turning them every 30 minutes.
(Recipe can be doubled etc. )
Rusks are a national institution in South Africa, especially Ouma’s rusks. Dry and dense, they were designed to last a long time for pioneers travelling in the wilderness. They can be eaten as they are or dunked in tea or coffee for that early morning snack or mid-morning break.
Ingredients: ( Makes about 15-18 rusks )
500g self raising flour
1 egg
100ml sugar
95g butter, melted
250ml buttermilk
½ tsp ( 2.5ml) baking powder
1 tsp (5ml) salt
1. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.
2. Beat the egg, sugar and buttermilk together.
3. Cut the wet mixture into the dry ingredients with a knife.
4. Knead the dough lightly, gradually adding the melted butter while kneading. This will take about 7 minutes.
5. Roll dough into balls about the size of a golf ball and pack the balls next to eachother into a loaf tin. The balls should reach about ⅔ of the height of the tin.
6. Bake at 180 degrees C ( 350 degrees F) for about 45 minutes.
7. Turn out onto a cooling rack and when cool enough to handle break into individual rusks.
8. Lower the heat of the oven to 100 degrees C ( 200 degrees F ) or less and dry the rusks in the oven. Turning them every 30 minutes.
(Recipe can be doubled etc. )
Just out the oven see how they are packed in.
The finished product. They keep for a few weeks in an air-tight container (if the family doesn't eat them all first).
