Rusks have been a firm favourite in South Africa since the first creak of the wagon wheel. Legend has it that the very first Dutch settlers in the Cape sold these twice-baked beskuit to passing ships when the Cape of Good Hope was an important trading post on the route to India. Rusks were also said to have played an important role in the Anglo Boer War as well as the great trek. One thing is for sure: we’re positive the tannies of yesteryear would have gone mad with excitement if they’d gotten their hands on the Zebra rusk pan and cutter, our featured product this week. You can view the rusk cutter for sale here!
The Zebra rusk pan and slicer makes baking your own delicious home-made rusks quick and easy, and once you get your hands on one and try our classic buttermilk rusk recipe, we promise you’ll never buy another box of off-the-shelf rusks again! And with winter around the corner, every tea and coffee lover needs to have a steady supply of rusks for dunking! There’s never been a better time to try it out for yourself.
Classic Buttermilk Rusks, fresh from the oven
Ingredients
- 1kg self-raising flour
- 250g butter
- 200ml sugar
- 320ml buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 10ml baking powder
- 25ml sunflower or canola oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
1 Preheat oven to 180°C.
2 Sift the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the eggs and oil to the mixture and stir well.
3 Make a well in the centre of the bowl and pour in the buttermilk. Stir from the centre towards the outside of the bowl so that the flour incorporates bit by bit into the buttermilk. When it forms into a dough, remove from the bowl and knead well.
4 Pack the dough evenly into the Zebra Rusk Pan and use the cutting section to slice the dough before baking.
5 Bake for 45 minutes. Divide the rusks and dry them by spreading them evenly over the baking trays, then leaving them in the oven, on its lowest setting (about 100°-125°C), overnight.
The rusks should be completely firm and not feel spongy at all. This way they will last all winter long!
To keep them fresh and crunchy, store them in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, ready for dunking.
Main image credit: secure.robertsons.co.za
