What Are Rusks? The South African Dried Biscuits Explained
Rusks are twice-baked, dried South African biscuits, known as beskuit, made for dunking in coffee or tea. Here is what they are and how they are made.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Rusks are twice-baked, dried biscuits from South Africa, known in Afrikaans as beskuit, made to be dunked in coffee or tea until soft enough to eat. A dough or batter is baked, cut into pieces, then slowly dried out in a low oven until hard and crunchy so it keeps for a long time. They are an everyday breakfast and snack staple, made in buttermilk, bran, muesli or aniseed varieties, with Ouma the most famous brand. In the UK rusks are sold by South African and African food shops, which you can find near you on African Stores.
What to remember
- Rusks are twice-baked, dried South African biscuits, known in Afrikaans as beskuit.
- They are made for dunking in coffee or tea until softened.
- A dough is baked, cut, then slowly dried in a low oven so it keeps for a long time.
- Common varieties include buttermilk, bran, muesli and aniseed.
- Ouma is the most famous brand, and they contain wheat and often egg and dairy.
Few things say a South African morning quite like a rusk dunked into a mug of coffee or rooibos, held there just long enough to soften before it reaches your mouth. It is a small, familiar ritual, the kind of thing that happens without thinking at kitchen tables and on farm stoeps every day, and for South Africans living in Britain it carries the whole feeling of home in a single crunchy bite.
There is warmth and heritage packed into that plain-looking biscuit. Rusks are the sort of thing a grandmother baked in big batches to keep in a tin, a beskuit ready whenever someone dropped by or a long drive needed provisions. To keep a tin of rusks going far from home, and to hand one to a friend with their first cup of rooibos, is to pass along an ordinary, comforting tradition that generations have grown up with.
What Rusks Actually Are
Rusks are twice-baked, dried biscuits, a South African staple known in Afrikaans as beskuit. The idea is simple but distinctive: a dough or batter is baked first, then cut into pieces and dried out slowly in a low oven until it is hard, crunchy and almost completely free of moisture. That drying is the whole point, because it turns a fresh bake into something that keeps for weeks in a tin, ready whenever coffee or tea is poured.
Because they are deliberately dried until firm, rusks are not meant to be eaten like a soft biscuit or cookie straight from the plate. They are made for dunking. You dip a rusk into hot coffee, tea or rooibos and hold it there for a moment until the outside softens, then eat it before it crumbles away. That combination of sturdy crunch and a quick soak is exactly what sets rusks apart, and it is why they sit so comfortably among the everyday foods of South African food.
How Rusks Are Made and the Varieties
Making rusks begins like making a bread or a firm cake. A rich dough or batter is mixed, often with buttermilk, butter and egg, then baked in a tin until set. Once it has cooled a little, the bake is broken or cut into individual finger-shaped pieces, and these go back into a very low oven for a long, slow drying, sometimes for hours, until every piece is dried right through and hard. It is this second, gentle bake that gives rusks their long keeping and their signature dry crunch.
There are several well loved varieties. Buttermilk rusks are the classic, plain and slightly tangy; bran rusks add wholewheat bran for a heartier, more wholesome bite; muesli rusks are studded with seeds, oats and dried fruit; and aniseed rusks carry the gentle liquorice note of aniseed. The most famous brand of all is Ouma, whose boxes are a fixture in South African kitchens, though many families still bake their own from treasured recipes.
Rusks as an Everyday Ritual
For many South Africans a rusk is simply part of the day. It is a quick, no-fuss breakfast when there is no time to cook, dunked into the first coffee of the morning, and an easy snack at any hour alongside a cup of tea. They travel well too, which makes them the natural companion for long road trips and outdoor mornings, tucked into a tin or a packet for the journey. Please note that rusks contain wheat, so they are not gluten free, and most contain egg and dairy from the buttermilk and butter, while muesli varieties may include nuts or seeds, so it is always worth checking the label if you have an allergy.
What keeps rusks so beloved is that everyday ritual of the dunk, the pairing of something plain and crunchy with something warm to drink. It is comfort food in the most ordinary and reliable sense, a small pleasure that fits into the rhythm of the day without any ceremony at all.
Where to Buy Rusks in the UK
Rusks are easy to find in Britain from shops that serve South African and wider African customers, and boxed brands such as Ouma travel especially well. You will usually find them sold in boxes or packets among the biscuits and breakfast items, in the familiar buttermilk, bran, muesli and aniseed varieties. If you would rather bake your own, the ingredients are simple everyday items: flour, buttermilk, butter, egg and, depending on the variety, bran, muesli or aniseed. To pick up a box or gather what you need, you can find African food stores near you and see what is stocked nearby.
Frequently asked questions
What are rusks?
Rusks are twice-baked, dried biscuits from South Africa, known in Afrikaans as beskuit, made to be dunked in coffee or tea. A dough or batter is baked, cut into pieces, then dried out slowly in a low oven until hard and crunchy so it keeps for a long time. They are an everyday breakfast and snack staple, popular in buttermilk, bran, muesli and aniseed varieties.
How are rusks different from a normal biscuit or cookie?
Unlike a soft biscuit or cookie, rusks are deliberately dried out until hard and crunchy in a second slow bake. This makes them keep for weeks and means they are made for dunking rather than eating straight from the plate. You dip a rusk in hot coffee, tea or rooibos until it softens, then eat it.
How are rusks made?
A rich dough or batter, often with buttermilk, butter and egg, is baked in a tin until set. It is then cut into finger-shaped pieces which go back into a very low oven for a long, slow drying, sometimes for hours, until fully dried and hard. That second bake gives rusks their crunch and their long keeping.
Do rusks contain allergens?
Yes. Rusks are made with wheat, so they contain gluten and are not gluten free, and most contain egg and dairy from buttermilk and butter. Muesli varieties may also contain nuts or seeds. Always check the label if you have an allergy.
Where can I buy rusks in the UK?
Rusks are sold by South African and African food shops in the UK, with boxed brands such as Ouma widely available in buttermilk, bran, muesli and aniseed varieties. You can also bake your own from simple everyday ingredients. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you that stocks them.