Versatilerusks Recipes

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.

VERSATILE RUSKS

Steps:

• Melt margarine and beat with buttermilk until creamy.
• Mix dry ingredients well.
• Mix buttermilk mixture with dry ingredients.
• Adjust consistency of mixture with flour until it isn't sticky, but not dry.
• Divide mixture between two 30cm x 20cm baking trays.
• Bake at 180°C for 45 minutes.
• Cut into fingers (we like them about 2,5cm x 10cm).
• Place them on trays with space between them.
• Bake at 100°C for 2-3 hours to dry them out.
• Serve dipped in tea or coffee.
• Yummy!

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.

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, 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.

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.

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).