If there is one recipe that could sum up my childhood it is My Mom’s Buttermilk Rusks. Growing up there were always two large cake tins filled with buttermilk rusks, my mother somehow managing to keep them full even with four boys in the house. And once I had left home, I would always leave with a stash of rusks after each visit.
I first mentioned my mom’s Buttermilk Rusks in another rusk recipe on heinstirred, the hugely popular Muesli Buttermilk Rusks from the fabulous murder mystery book series written by Sally Andrew. At least once a month I would get a request for my mom’s version and asit is Mother’s Day next weekend it is definitely time to have my mom’s rusk recipe on heinstirred as its own recipe post.
Buttermilk Rusks are a traditional South African baked good. A dry, twice-baked biscuit that is an integral part of our South African culinary heritage. Usually enjoyed by dunking into a cup of coffee or tea, I have vivid memories of these rusks being an early morning breakfast before we would leave on the long road trip from Johannesburg to Stellenbosch to visit my grandparents. And my Stellenbosh memories will always be my grandmother’s buttermilk rusks and the scent of sweet rooibos tea.
My mom adapted the recipe from my maternal grandmother’s, tweaked over the years. I bake these buttermilk rusks not only to satisfy my craving but to sooth those moments of longing now that we live a 12 hour flight apart. I love eating these rusks as a crunchy, sweet snack on the go or dunked into a glass of cold milk while I am working at my desk.
My mom’s Buttermilk Rusk recipe calls for Nutty Wheat flour which I think is a purely South African product. Nutty Wheat is a flour mix that has 18% coarse wheat bran added for high-fibre content. If not available in your country, you could make your own mix or just use 100% cake/all purpose self raising flour for the recipe and omit the additional baking powder. As the rusks are twice baked it would not be necessary to make any liquid adjustments.
I hope you enjoy this recipe for My Mom’s Buttermilk Rusks and if you’ve made the bars, do share it with me by tagging and following @heinstirred on Instagram. It is always a treat to see the recipes made and enjoyed.
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My Mom's Buttermilk Rusks
Ingredients
- 500 g butter
- 500 ml buttermilk
- 3 large eggs
- 1.5 kg self raising flour
- 125 g nutty wheat flour - see notes
- 425 g sugar
- 15 ml baking powder
- 10 ml salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170 degrees C
- Grease a large baking tin very well - I use a vintage 28cm square tin
- Melt the butter and set aside
- Beat the eggs and buttermilk and mix in the melted butter
- Mix all the dry ingredients
- Add the dry to the wet ingredients and mix to a soft dough
- Spoon into the prepared baking tin and bake for about an hour until golden brown and cooked through when testing with a toothpick or skewer
- Let it cool down completely and remove from the pan
- Cut into rusks and place on the racks in the oven at 80 - 100 degrees C to slowly dry out for at least 6 - 8 hours or longer if needed
- Store in an airtight container
Notes
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