Buttermilk Rusks

Buttermilk Rusks (and why my kids think they’re magic)

Few things bring back South African mornings quite like a coffee-dunked buttermilk rusk. They’re a staple in our home — so beloved that I can barely keep up with the demand. We also include them in our daily Tea Time ritual, a carryover from my own childhood and now a sweet pause in the afternoon with my kids.

(Side note for fellow mammas: Tea Time has become our best decompression tool. The combo of rooibos tea and a crunchy rusk works like Pavlov’s bell — instantly calming everyone down before homework and playtime. Try it. It’s a gem.)

When I first started making rusks in the U.S., I ran into a bit of a challenge with measurement conversions. South Africa uses metric, while the U.S. follows the imperial system — and though both use “cups” and “teaspoons,” they’re not exactly the same. After a few trial runs and tweaks, I’ve finally landed on a version that works beautifully stateside.

A Few Tips Before You Bake:

Flour Matters
Don’t scoop flour directly from the bag — it packs in too tightly. Spoon it into your cup or better yet, weigh it for accuracy.

Rubbing-In Method
Combine flour and butter by rubbing it together with your fingertips until it looks like coarse crumbs:

Gentle Touch
Once you add the buttermilk, mix lightly and avoid kneading. You want an airy, tender crumb that soaks up coffee like a dream.

Sticky Dough = Normal
Lightly flour your hands to roll golfball-sized portions. Pack them tightly into the pan — they’ll rise together into a perfect block for breaking apart.

Shaping Your Rusks: Three Easy Ways

Once your dough is mixed, it’s time to shape and bake — and there’s more than one way to do it depending on how you like your rusks (or what tools you have on hand).

1. Traditional “Ball” Method
This is the method I grew up with. Roll the sticky dough into golfball-sized rounds (lightly flouring your hands helps!) and pack them tightly into your loaf pan. As they bake, they’ll rise into a block that can be pulled apart along natural seams — kind of like pull-apart dinner rolls.

2. Bake as a Loaf, Then Slice
If shaping individual balls feels like too much effort (or mess), simply scoop the dough into your greased loaf pan and smooth it out evenly. Once baked and cooled, slice it into thick rectangular rusks using a serrated knife. It’s neater and faster — and perfect for batch baking.

3. Use a Rusk Pan
If you’ve brought a rusk pan from South Africa (you lucky thing, you!), this will give you perfectly uniform pieces without any shaping or slicing at all. Just press the dough in and bake — done!

No matter which method you choose, the end result is the same: crispy, golden rusks that are made for dunking.

Drying the Rusks:

This part intimidates some people — leaving the oven on overnight?! But don’t worry. At 170°F, it’s low and safe. Just lay the rusks on their sides on a baking sheet and let them dry out slowly. Your whole house will smell incredible.

Hope y’all love these as much as we do.

Buttermilk Rusks

A classic South African buttermilk rusk — crunchy, golden, and perfect for dunking in coffee or rooibos tea. This family favorite is made from a lightly sweet dough, shaped and baked until crisp, then slowly dried for that irresistible texture.

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Course: Breakfast, Snack, Tea Time

Cuisine: South African

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes minutes

Drying Time: 8 hours hours

Total Time: 9 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 50 rusks (approx.)

Ingredients

• 8 cups (1 kg) all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp baking powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 3 cups (600g) sugar
• 1 lb (4 sticks) butter
• 2 cups (1 pint) buttermilk
• 2 eggs

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two standard loaf pans or one large deep pan.
• In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
• Cut the cold butter into cubes and rub it into the flour mixture using your fingertips until the texture resembles coarse crumbs.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and eggs.
• Add to flour mixture and mix carefully with a wooden spoon until combined and a sticky dough forms. (Make sure not to knead or handle the dough too much as you want it to be as light and fluffy as possible)
• Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and gently stir with a wooden spoon until just combined into a sticky dough. Avoid kneading or over mixing.
• With floured hands, loosely roll the dough into golfball-sized portions and pack them tightly into the prepared pan(s).
• Bake for 50–60 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Let cool completely, then gently separate the rusks along natural seams.
• Place the pieces on a baking sheet (cut-side down or on their sides) and dry in a 170–200°F (75–95°C) oven overnight, or for 8–10 hours, until completely crisp.

Notes

• If the dough is too sticky to roll, lightly flour your hands or use two spoons to portion.
• For a shortcut, bake the dough as a loaf and slice into rusks after cooling.
• Once fully dried, rusks store beautifully in an airtight container for several weeks — even up to a few months. They’re meant to last!