INGREDIENTS
3kg self-raising flour
2 x 500g butter
2 x 500ml buttermilk
8 eggs (beaten well)
1 desert spoon baking powder
2.5 cups sugar
2 teaspoon salt
METHOD
- Mix self-raising flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl.
- Melt butter and sugar together slowly (body temperature ONLY).
- Add buttermilk.
- Add melted mixture to flour mixture.
- Add beaten eggs.
- Knead well.
- Press into oven pans about 1.5cm high.
- “Cut” into rusks about width and length of adult middle finger by pushing a long flat object (eg. ruler or egg lifter) into the dough to separate the dough. Do not try to cut with a knife – the dough will just drag.
- Bake for around 1 hour in a 165 degree Celsius preheated oven. Stick a toothpick in and if it comes out clean, they’re ready. If not and the rusks are browning, cover with foil and bake longer.
- Once baked, remove and break into separate biscuits along pressed lines.
- Place back into the oven pan, stacking biscuits loosely and dry overnight in a 70 degree Celsius oven. Make sure to wedge something in the oven door that will keep the oven open fractionally—about a centimeter—so that there is airflow to dry the rusks slowly.
- Once rusks are ready, grab a cup of coffee, dunk and enjoy!
— HANLIE MORRISON