Buttermilk Rusks Karringmelk Beskuit Recipes

BUTTERMILK RUSKS, SOUTH AFRICAN

Steps:

• Oven: 350 deg F.
• Grease 2 flat, large cookie tins.
• Use the coarse side of a grater, and in a large bowl grate the butter into the flour.
• Then use your hands to rub it in until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
• Add the salt and sugar.
• Add the vanilla to the beaten eggs, and stir into the flour mixture (just roughly).
• Add enough buttermilk to mix to the consistency of scone dough, i.e. soft and somewhat sticky, but not wet. You should need about 6 cups, but it could be more or less.
• Have a bowl of quite warm water ready, and dip your hands into it. Now form large balls of dough, but do so lightly.
• The balls should be about 1/3 smaller than tennis balls (sorry, hard if you can't demonstrate!) Pack these, touching one another, on the greased tins. Do not pack close to the edges of the tins, as the dough will rise considerably.
• Baking time depends on a few variables such as the size of the balls -- generally about 45 mins - 60 minutes The rusks should be well-risen and golden-brown on top. Do peek, and don't let it burn. Test with a skewer.
• Cool in tins, but they don't have to be cold to proceed:.
• Use a serrated knife (some people simply break up the soft rusks) and cut into shapes convenient for handling -- about 3 inches in length and 1 1/2 inches in width. But you will never be able to cut these rusks neatly!
• They crumble a lot -- don't worry, it can't be helped. Put out the crumbs for the birds.
• Using the same tins, stack them very loosely and at an angle, one row supporting the next.
• Dry overnight in a cool oven of about 170 deg F, with the oven door wedged open a crack. They must dry out completely.
• Next day make sure rusks are dry, cool well, and keep in airtight tins.

BUTTERMILK RUSKS (KARRINGMELK BESKUIT)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/355F and grease two loaf tins, or vessels of your choice for the rusks. See notes.
• Weigh out the flour, then add in the salt and baking soda. Whisk these ingredients to remove any lumps from the flour and to distribute the salt, baking soda and inherent leaveners throughout the flour.
• Melt the butter in the microwave or on the stove-top. Add in the sugar and whisk vigoursly until the sugar is completely dissolved and the butter has thickened and is smooth and shiny. (this may take a minute or two). The butter and sugar may need to be heated for an additional 20 seconds or so to gain the correct consistency. Allow the butter to cool.
• Whisk together the eggs and buttermilk.
• Add the butter and buttermilk mixtures to the flour and mix through with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula until combined. Then using your hands, knead the dough together a few times until you have a nice smooth-ish dough. We want a bit of gluten development but don't want bread dough.
• To make chunky buttermilk rusks roll out golf-ball-sized pieces of dough and place in the loaf tins. To make sliced buttermilk rusks, divide the dough between your loaf tins and press into place. When making sliced buttermilk rusks, you can use a square cake tin or large roasting dish to bake your dough.
• Bake the rusks - the balls or bolletjies or dough in a loaf tin take approximately 30 to 45 minutes to bake, while the large slice takes about 45 to 60 minutes to bake. But all ovens are different, the best bet would be to check the rusk using a toothpick or cake tester at the 30, 45, and 60-minute mark. When they come out clean, the rusk's first bake is complete.
• Allow the rusks to cool before tearing apart or slicing them. When slicing rusks, I like to keep them about 2-3cm x 2-3cm big. Place the sliced or chunky rusks on the oven racks in the oven, and set your oven to a maximum of 110 degrees Celsius (cool oven), preferably with the fan on to dry the rusks out. This drying process can take anywhere from 2 to 5 hours depending on the thickness of your rusk. Rusks that are about 2-3cm x 2-3cm big tend to take about 2 hours to dry out while the chunky rusks take between 4 and 5 hours to dry out.

NUTTY WHEAT BUTTERMILK BESKUIT/ RUSKS

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven 180°C.
• Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Sieve dry ingredients. Add buttermilk to egg mixture and mix in with dry ingredients. This will make a very solid dough. Use two large greased baking pans. Bake for 55 min or till golden brown. Remove from heat, remove from pans. Let the breads cool slightly. Slice the bread into slices and then cut into fingers. Place on a drying rack and dry in oven on 90 degrees till the rusks are dry and hard. Let them cool off and place in an air tight container. Serve with coffee, Milo or tea. Dunk the rusks in the hot drink and eat. They are very moreish. Enjoy a little bit of South African cuisine on your own porch.
• Makes 40 rusks. Preparation time 1 hour.

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).