Buttermilk Rusks South African Food

BUTTERMILK RUSKS

Steps:

• Combine the buttermilk, melted butter and yeast in a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a mixer) and stir until the yeast starts to dissolve and bubble slightly.Add the sugar, salt and bicarbonate of soda and mix well.Add two thirds of the flour to the liquid mixture and stir until combined. If you're using an electric mixer, use the dough hook.Add more flour while mixing and kneading until the mixture comes together to form a workable dough. If the dough feels right, don't add more flour.If adding extra ingredients (see ideas below), do so at this stage.Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, loosely place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the dough and cover it with a damp cloth. Leave, in a warm area, to rise to double the original volume. It will take about 1 hour.When it's done rising, shape the dough into even golfball-sized portions. Roll them neatly and pack them tightly together in a single layer in a greased baking tray or bread loaf tin. Cover with a damp cloth and leave to rise until doubled in size. This will take about 45 minutes.Preheat oven to 180ºC.When the final proofing is done, bake the dough for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Leave to cool down just enough to work with.Note: If you want to have mosbolletjies with tea or breakfast, you can serve the steaming loaf with butter and jam now.If you want to go all the way to create dry rusks, break the cooked dough into pieces along the lines of the original balls, lay out flat on baking sheets and leave in an oven heated to 100ºC overnight or until completely dry, at least 8 hours.Store your lovely boerebeskuit in airtight container.INGREDIENTS TO ADD25 g dried cranberries and 25g roughly chopped almonds 50 g raisins, sultanas or chopped dates and 1cup bran 50 g pecan nuts and 1t cinnamon 2 T aniseed 1 cup of crushed all bran flakes 1 cup of desiccated coconut 50 g sunflowers seeds and ½ cup honey 25 g pumpkin seeds and 25 g chopped dried apricotRECIPE SUBSTITUTIONS1.To make your own buttermilk, combine 125 ml lemon juice, white spirit or apple cider vinegar with 625 ml full cream milk2. For wholewheat rusks, substitute 700 g white bread flour or 50% (700g) of the stone ground flour with whole wheat flourTASTE'S take: This is the ultimate buttermilk rusk recipe, passed down to Chef Monché Muller, by her grandmother. It uses yeast but Chef Monché says that while that means it takes a little longer to make, the taste and crumb are far superior.Discover more South African recipes here.

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).

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.

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.

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!