Best Versatile Rusks Recipes

SWEDISH COUNTRY INN'S RUSKS

Steps:

• Cream shortening and sugar.
• Add remaining ingredients.
• Spread dough in greased 9 x 12-inch pan.
• Bake at 350F for 1 hour.
• Remove from oven and brush with cream.
• Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar if desired.
• Let cool for 15 minutes.
• Turn onto a baking sheet and cut in strips 1-1/2" x 3", separated from each other.
• Dry in 200F oven for 1 to 2 hours.
• These will keep for a long time; airtight container preferred but not necessary.
• Also freeze well.

FAVOURITE BUTTERMILK RUSKS

Steps:

• Sift flour and salt together. Rub in margarine with fingertips until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add sugar and aniseed.
• Whisk eggs and buttermilk together. Add to dry ingredients and mix well to a soft dough.
• Shape into balls and place into two greased 24 x 34 cm oven pans. Bake in a preheated oven at 160 °C for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 150 °C and continue baking for about 30 minutes.
• Turn out onto wire racks to cool slightly. Cut or break into pieces while still warm. Dry out in a cool oven at about 70 °C for 6 - 8 hours, or overnight. Store in an airtight container.

WHOLE WHEAT BUTTERMILK RUSKS

Steps:

• Mix flour, baking powder and sugar.
• Melt margarine and beat in buttermilk until creamy.
• Add to dry ingredients and mix well.
• Press into greased baking sheet, pressing until it reaches all the edges and corners.
• Bake at 180°C for 45 minutes.
• Cut into fingers and spread out onto 2 baking trays.
• Dry in a 100°C oven for 1 1/2-2 hours.
• YUM!

BUTTERMILK RUSKS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 240°C.
• Sift the dry ingredients and stir til well mixed.
• Cut in butter - the mixture should resemble corn meal when done.
• Beat buttermilk and egg together and add to dry ingredients.
• Mix to a firm dough.
• Pinch off golf ball sized pieces of dough and press lightly into rectangular shape approx 2cm thick.
• Place close together in two greased loaf pans (30cm x36cm x 7cm) and brush the sides of each row of balls with oil so that the rusks will break apart easily after being baked.
• Brush with diluted milk.
• Bake at 240C for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 190C and bake for further 50 minutes.
• Turn out on cooling rack and break in two or three places so that the rusks will cool more quickly.
• When cool, break neatly into individual rusks and allow to dry out in a very low oven (120C).

GERMAN ZWIEBACK: RUSKS

Steps:

• Cream the yeast with 1/2 cup of the milk and 1 teaspoon of the sugar.
• Leave it in a warm place until foaming, about 15 minutes.
• Then add it to 2 cups of the flour.
• Mix thoroughly, gradually adding 2/3 cup of the remaining milk, to make a yeast sponge.
• Let it rise in a warm place until it has doubled in bulk, about one and one half hours.
• Stir into the sponge the egg yolks, remaining sugar, butter and the rest of the flour and milk.
• Blend the mixture into a dough.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it thoroughly for about 15 minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic.
• Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rise for 30 minutes in a warm place.
• Shape the dough into three 12-inch cylindrical loaves.
• Sprinkle the tops with a few drops of tepid water.
• Place the loaves on buttered baking sheets, let them rise for about 45 minutes, then bake them in a preheated 400 F.
• oven for 50 minutes, or until light brown.
• The next day, cut the loaves into thin slices with a very sharp knife.
• Place the slices on buttered baking sheets and bake them in a preheated 325 F.
• oven for 30 minutes, turning them after 15 minutes.
• When finished, they should be dry and evenly browned.
• Elek Magyar.
• Kochbuch Fur Feinschmecker.

SOUTH AFRICAN RUSKS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly mix the dry ingredients.
• Combine all the wet ingredients, pour them into the dry ingredients, and stir until you have a soft dough, similar to biscuit dough.
• Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface and roll or pat it to about a 1/2 inch thickness.
• Cut the dough into rectangles about 2 by 4 inches.
• Bake the rusks about 2 inches apart on buttered baking sheet for about 25 minutes until the tops are crisping and browning a little.
• Loosely pile the rusks on a baking sheet and keep them in a 200 degree oven all day or all night (about 12 hours) to dry.
• The finished rusks should be very dry and hard.
• Cool and store in an airtight container.
• Rusks will keep for weeks.
• Variations Oatmeal-Raisin Rusks: Reduce the white flour to 1 1/2 cups and add 2 cups rolled oats and 1/2 cup currants or chopped raisins.
• Almond Rusks: Add 1 cup chopped almonds and omit the cinnamon.
• Peanut Rusks: Add 1 cup coarsely chopped peanuts.

DUTCH RUSKS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F degrees.
• Proof the yeast in 1/2 cup of the lukewarm milk with 1 teaspoon of the sugar.
• When you have a yeast sponge, add the rest of the milk, sugar, and soft butter. Stir in the flour, cup by cup, until you have a dough that you can knead. Work until smooth and shiny, then place in a large buttered bowl, cover with a towel and put in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
• Take the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, knead for a few minutes and roll into ropes, about 2 inches thick. Bread off pieces, about the size of an egg, and shape into little round buns.
• Place these on buttered baking sheets, cover with a towel and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
• Bake in the oven until they are pale gold, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Cool on a rack.
• After they have cooled, use a big fork to slice the top half off each bun. Place both tops and bottoms on a baking sheet; they can be rather close together.
• Bake in a 400 degrees oven until light brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let them get crisp.
• Let cool completely before eating.
• These will keep crisp and fresh for a long time. If they do get soggy, put them back in a low oven and let them crisp again. 60 rusks. Do not freeze.
• Breads Of The World.