Rusks aren’t normally something that you’d make in a small batch. But these buttermilk rusks are an exception to the rule. 

If you have something drying out in the oven overnight anyway, and you want to pop in a few rusks just because…

Or maybe you just want to try out a new recipe, but don’t want to go too crazy in case it’s a total fail…

Perhaps it’s your first time making rusks, and you want to discover whether you actually like them…

Whatever your reason, I got you! 

In fact, even if you want a big batch of buttermilk rusks, I’ve got you. All you have to do is triple the recipe and you’ve got yourself a good old baking tray full.

As you’ve probably realised by now, this recipe is quite open to change. 

One thing that you might want to change in particular is the sugar. These rusks just have the slightest hint of sweetness, but if you have more of a sweet-tooth please do up the sugar. 

On that ‘switching it up’ note, you can also add in other bits and bobs as you desire. Some common additions include raisins, nuts, seeds, and honey. However, if it’s your first time in the rusk making business, you may want to start off nice and simple.

How to make Buttermilk Rusks

Making rusks is surprisingly straightforward. They really require minimal effort on your part.

I get that the overnight drying time can seem a bit crazy, but it’s very important that the rusks are bone-dry before you store them. Their ‘bone-dryness’ is what allows them to keep them so well.

Making the Dough

Rusk dough is similar in texture to that used for a scone. 

To make it, sieve the flour into a medium mixing bowl, then stir in the salt and baking powder.

Next, mix in the butter and oil first with a spoon, then use your fingertips to rub the it into the flour. It should form a crumbly mixture.

Whisk together the buttermilk, egg, sugar, and vanilla essence in a mixing jug. Pour this wet mixture into the flour mixture, stirring everything well. Use your hands to knead the dough for a few minutes, until it is soft and well-combined.

Baking the Buttermilk Rusks

Press the rusk mixture into a small lightly greased baking tray, making an even layer about 2cm thick. 

Place rusk dough into the middle of the oven preheated to 180°C and bake it until golden-brown and cooked through. 

After a few minutes, turn the rusks out onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely, about 45 minutes.

Drying out the Rusks

Once the rusk dough is completely cooled, cut it into rectangles of your preferred size, then place onto a wire rack. Make sure you leave space around the rusks for air to circulate.

Let the rusks dry in an oven at about 65°C overnight. Place a baking tray beneath the wire rack to stop the stray crumbs from falling into your oven. Leave the oven door open a crack for steam to escape. The rusks are only done when they are hard and completely dry and crunchy throughout.

Serving & Storing the Buttermilk Rusks

As soon as the rusks are completely dry, stack them into an airtight container. 

They keep well at room temperature for…forever? I actually don’t know, but they’ll last you for a very long time (if they’re in an airtight container)!

Rusks are great dunked in a steamin’ hot cuppa anything.

Once you’ve mastered these small-batch buttermilk rusks, you should try out these healthy, big batch Bran & Seed rusks.

Print Recipe

Buttermilk Rusks - Small Batch

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Breakfast & Snack

Serves: 25 rusks

Prep Time: 30 minutes – Cooking Time: 30-40 minutes (plus at least 8 hours drying time) – Total Time: 1 hour-1 hour 10 minutes (plus at least 8 hours drying time)

Rusks are delicious South African dry biscuits that are often served with a hot beverage. They have a lovely crunchy texture and are almost cakey when dipped into tea. My family likes a rusk that is not too sweet...but if that's not up your street, feel free to scale up the sugar. Rusks take quite a lot of time and energy to make but are well worth it. These small-batch buttermilk rusks are ideal for when you're drying out something else in the oven. Otherwise, you can definitely scale up the recipe to however many times you like (3x makes a nice large baking tray).

Ingredients

• 360g all-purpose flour (3 ¼ cups)
• ½ tsp salt
• 1T baking powder
• 35g butter, cubed
• 40g sunflower oil
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2T egg, beaten
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Instructions

1

Pre-heat oven to 180°C. Spray a small baking tray with non-stick spray or line with baking paper.

2

Sieve the flour into a medium mixing bowl, then stir in the salt and baking powder.

3

Mix in the butter and oil first with a spoon, then use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour. It should form a crumbly mixture.

4

Whisk together the buttermilk, egg, sugar, and vanilla essence in a mixing jug. Pour this wet mixture into the flour mixture, stirring well. Use your hands to knead the dough for a few minutes, until soft and well-combined.

5

Press the rusk mixture into the small baking tray, making an even layer about 2cm thick. Place in the middle of the oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes, until golden-brown and cooked through. After a couple of minutes, turn the rusks out onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely, about 45 minutes.

6

Once completely cooled, cut into rectangles of your preferred size, then place onto a wire rack. Make sure you leave space around the rusks for air to circulate.

7

Let the rusks dry in an oven at 65°C overnight. Place a baking tray beneath the wire rack to catch any crumbs. Leave the oven door open a crack for steam to escape. The rusks are only done when they are hard and completely dry throughout.

Notes

As mentioned above, you can use this as a base and add anything from there. Feel free to add in some seeds, nuts, honey, raisin, or anything else that delights your tastebuds! Important to note is that these rusks are not very sweet at all. If you have a sweet tooth make sure that you up the sugar sufficiently!