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    Home / Breakfast / Buttermilk Rusks

    Buttermilk Rusks

    Crunchy twice-baked buttermilk bread sticks, faintly sweet and made for dunking in coffee — the breakfast that starts every farm morning.

    ⏱ 25 minPrep time
    🔥 1 hr 30 minCook time
    🍽 12Servings
    🏷 BreakfastCategory
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    Rusks were born out of necessity, when Voortrekker bakers twice-baked their bread so it would keep for weeks on long wagon journeys. Today they are South Africa’s national breakfast, a dry, crunchy morsel made for dunking into a mug of coffee until it softens into warm, buttery bites. Buttermilk and a hint of aniseed give these rusks their signature flavor, and a jar on the counter is a promise of slow mornings.

    Built for dunking, made for coffee

    These rusks are dense, crunchy, and just sweet enough, with a tender crumb that turns delightfully soft after a few seconds in a hot drink. The buttermilk gives them a gentle tang that plays beautifully against coffee, and the aniseed adds a quiet, old-fashioned warmth. Bake a big batch, because a proper rusk never lasts long.

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    Step by stepInstructions

    1. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
    2. Stir in the sugar and aniseed.
    3. Beat the eggs with the buttermilk and stir into the dry mixture to form a stiff, sticky dough.
    4. Turn the dough into a buttered 9x13-inch pan and smooth the top.
    5. Bake at 350 F for 40 minutes, until golden and a skewer comes out clean.
    6. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely.
    7. Slice the loaf into fingers about 1 inch thick and arrange them cut-side up on baking sheets.
    8. Dry in a 250 F oven for 50 to 60 minutes, until crisp through. Cool completely and store in an airtight tin.

    💡 Chef tips & storage

    Do not slice the rusks until they are completely cool, or they will crumble. Store them in an airtight tin for up to a month, and toast them briefly if they soften over time.

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    Recipe details

    Prep25 min
    Cook1 hr 30 min
    Servings12
    CategoryBreakfast
    PublishedAugust 17, 2026
    Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

    Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

    Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

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