The best buttermilk bran rusks
These buttermilk bran rusks might be my new favourite rusk recipe. They are easy to make and have a light texture. The All-Bran flakes and wholewheat flour make them a little healthier. They are perfect to fill a biscuit tin and have on hand to dunk into your tea or coffee.
Rusks are a classic South African twice-baked treat. They are one of the things people miss the most when they emigrate. Over the years I have had so many ex-pat readers tell me how much they love and miss rusks. This is another one to add to your repertoire.
What better way to celebrate our heritage month than with a rusk recipe? All my rusk recipes have become very popular on my blog over the last decade. You can find them all here:
Muesli rusks with oats & raisins
A classic buttermilk rusk recipe
Bran & muesli buttermilk rusks with seeds
Most rusk recipes make large batches and I kind of get the rationale behind that. If you are going to all the effort of drying them out in your oven for four hours, you may as well make a large quantity. I have included the ratios for a half batch with this recipe.
Buttermilk rusks contain only a few ingredients. The buttermilk and butter make up the wet component that binds everything together. You can add half a cup of sunflower or chia seeds to this recipe if you like and often I do. I wouldn’t add more than that in case they crumble too much.
I used Kerrygold butter in this recipe, a top-quality Irish butter brand. The butter is made from the milk of grass-fed free-roaming dairy cows. It is creamy, delicious, and perfect for these buttermilk bran rusks. Kerrygold products do not contain any artificial additives and only use natural ingredients “Because Taste is Everything.
How to make Buttermilk bran rusks:
- The batter for classic rusks is quite dense, so it’s best to make these by hand.
- Mix the dry ingredients together to ensure the baking powder is well incorporated. Then add the wet ingredients.
- Add the wet ingredients together and mix until combined.
- Rusks are first baked in a moderate oven for 30 minutes before cooling and then cutting.
- Once the rusks get cut, they are then placed onto a large, paper-lined baking tray to dry out at a low temperature.
I have tested three recipes and made a total of five batches of rusks in the last week. I find baking finger rusks at around 175C – 180C for a shorter time (ie 30 minutes) is the best temperature for them. If you have much thicker rusks, it is better to bake at 160C for a little longer to prevent over-browning. I cover the rusks with a loose piece of foil for the last 10 – 15 minutes to prevent over-browning.
A few other South African Heritage recipes:
Classic South African unbaked milk tarts
Earl Grey tea milk tart -Baked milk tart
Malva pudding with cranberries & ginger
My grandmother Betty’s crunchy recipe
Traditional South African bobotie with fragrant yellow rice
Buttermilk bran rusks
Ingredients
- 200 gms 1 ½ cups cake flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 200 gms 1 ½ cups of wholewheat flour
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 150 gms 1 ½ cups All-Bran flakes (lightly crushed)
- 200 gms sugar 3/4 cup
- 250 gms salted Kerrygold butter
- 250 ml 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
- In a large bowl add the flours and baking powder and whisk to combine. Add the All-Bran and sugar and mix.
- Melt the butter and allow it to cool slightly. Add this to the dry ingredients along with the buttermilk and vanilla. Mix well to combine.
- Line a baking (or small roasting) dish on the biggest side with baking paper. A 28cm x 20cm dish or similar rectangular dish will work well here. Spread the mixture into the tin and lightly press it into all the corners.
- Bake for 30 minutes until light golden brown. Cover with a piece of tin foil from about halfway through the baking to prevent over-browning.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack.
- Cut the rusks into fingers of the desired thickness. Place them on a large, lined baking sheet. Space them out to allow them to dry.
- Place in a low oven of around 90C-100C, preferably fan-forced, and dry for 4 – 5 hours. Turn the rusks over halfway through. Turn the oven off and let them stay inside overnight. When tested they should be dry right through before turning off the oven,
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Do you keep the oven door slightly open for the drying out process?
Hi Bernelee, I don’t keep the oven door ope. I have a fan oven so prefer to use that here. 100C for a shorter period vs 50C overnight. but any way that works is fine as long as they dry out properly.
Hi Sam I use a very similar recipe to yours except that mine has eggs in it- would it make a difference if I leave them out?
Hi Ingrid, there are no eggs in my recipe and I prefer that they are lighter as a result. You could add eggs. Whatever you prefer.
Do you add a cup of canola to the recipe as written or leave out the butter? Thank you.
I normally make your lovely Mueslie rusks recipe.
Hi Mariette I’m a little confused by this question. The recipe does not have any canola in it. Just melted butter and buttermilk. I’m not sure where you see the canola added. Thanks Sam
Thanks for the recipe Sam, I substituted gluten free flour for the two flours and gluten free cornflakes for the bran. It came out great! My husband was so excited with his gluten free rusks😁
Thats great to know it worked with GF flour Rosemary, thanks for the tip
Soooooo delicious! I made these a day ago on a rainy first day of fall day. My son was enjoying his rooibos tea and asked why I have not bought rusks yet. So I decided to try your recipe because it looked easier than most.
They turned out yummy and so homey! Reminded of my girlfriends weekends in Cape Town, South Africa. I did not have whole wheat flour so I just used all purpose flour and used All Bran cereal which has bits of oats and raisins. Homemade tastes so much better than store bought. Just what we needed since we miss South Africa a lot.
Can I just double the ingredients for a double batch?
Thank you very much for sharing this recipe.
Dineo
Hi Dineo, I’m so glad you enjoyed my recipe and it reminded you of South Africa. This is my favourite rusk recipe.
Hi Sam, can I substitute the butter for coconut oil maybe?
Hi Danel, I haven’t tested it with any oil so I am not sure sorry
The best rusks that I have ever tasted. And so easy. Thank you, Sam!
Im so glad you loved the rusks Gwen 🙂
Hi Sam can i add some nuts to the mixture?
Hi Rose, I think you could although I don’t like nuts in a risk. Add them raw if you do.
Can you add raisins to this recipe?
Is it ok to use a ceramic Le Creuset baking dish?
Hi Robyn, I prefer to make it in an metal or enamel tin. I never bake in ceramic unless its a pudding
Hint: If you’re into the less anaemic confectionary, ditch the tin foil or pop it on for 1/4-1/2 of the suggested time. You’ll get that magical lightly charred, earthy look and taste – just a preference. Nonetheless, these rusks are the best
Thanks for your tip Jimbo but My rusks are not anaemic. You can bake them browner if you prefer. I don’t like overly browned/burned baked goods but each to their own.