Method

1. Preheat the oven

Preheat the oven to 160°C.

2. Combine the dry ingredients

Add the self-raising flour, sugar and salt to a large mixing bowl. Mix well.

3. Combine the wet ingredients

In a separate bowl, combine the melted butter, buttermilk, milk and eggs. Mix well.

4. Make the dough

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. (DO NOT OVER MIX)

5. Bake

Press the dough evenly into a greased or lined baking tray.

I would recommend two standard 23 × 33 cm rectangular baking or roasting trays with sides at least 5 cm deep.

This recipe makes just over 3 kg of mixture, so dividing it between two trays will give the rusks enough space to rise and bake evenly. Spread approximately half the mixture into each tray at an even thickness.

A single 30 × 40 cm deep roasting tray can also work, but the mixture will be thicker and may need longer to bake through in the centre.

Bake at 160°C for 45 minutes.

6. Cool and cut

Allow the baked rusks to cool slightly in the tray.

Remove them from the tray and allow them to cool completely before cutting into evenly sized rusks. ( 8cm by 2,5cm)

7. Dry the rusks

Arrange the cut rusks on baking trays, leaving a little space between each piece.

Dry in the oven at 90°C for approximately 4 hours, or until completely dry and crisp.

8. Store

Allow the rusks to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container.