Buttermilk Rusks (South African Dunking Biscuits)
Local name: Karringmelkbeskuit
In short: Buttermilk and oat dough baked as a slab, cut into fingers and dried slowly until hard, South Africa's classic biscuit for dunking in coffee. It takes about 5 h 30 min in total and makes 20 servings.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 5 h 10 min
- Resting
- 30 min
- Total
- 5 h 30 min
- Servings
- 20
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 190 kcal
Rusks are hard, twice-baked biscuits that South Africans dunk in coffee or tea at breakfast, on road trips and in camp. The dough is baked as a slab, cut into fingers and dried slowly in a low oven until crisp all the way through. Buttermilk rusks are the most common kind. They soften quickly in a hot drink and keep for weeks in a tin, so making a big batch is traditional.
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease and line a 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 inch) baking dish with parchment.
- Whisk the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
- Whisk the melted butter, egg and buttermilk together and pour them into the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined into a thick, sticky dough, folding in the raisins if using.
- Press the dough into the dish with wet hands and level the top. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden and a skewer comes out clean.
- Cool completely in the dish, about 30 minutes. Turn out and cut into fingers about 2 cm (3/4 inch) wide and 8 cm (3 inches) long.
- Lower the oven to 100°C (210°F). Spread the fingers on wire racks set over baking sheets, leaving space between them.
- Dry for 4 to 5 hours, turning once, until the rusks are hard and snap cleanly. Cool fully before storing in an airtight tin.
Tips
- Dry them slowly. If your oven will not go as low as 100°C (210°F), prop the door open slightly with a wooden spoon so the moisture escapes.
- For a muesli rusk, replace half the oats with seeds, nuts or dried fruit. A teaspoon of crushed aniseed gives a traditional flavor.
Questions and answers
How long do rusks keep?
Fully dried and stored airtight, they keep for 4 to 6 weeks. If they soften, put them back in a low oven for 30 to 60 minutes.
Why are my rusks not crunchy?
They were not dried long enough or the oven was too hot, which crisps the outside only. Keep drying at 100°C (210°F) until a rusk snaps cleanly.
How do you eat rusks?
Dunk them in hot coffee or tea until they soften. They are a common breakfast and are often eaten on road trips and camping holidays.
How long does it take to make Buttermilk Rusks (South African Dunking Biscuits)?
About 5 h 30 min in total: 20 min of preparation and 5 h 10 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Buttermilk Rusks (South African Dunking Biscuits)?
About 190 kcal per serving, with 4 g of protein, 30 g of carbohydrates and 6 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 190 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 30 g |
| Fat | 6 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 8 g |
| Sodium | 190 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
