Rusks (Egg-Free)

Ingredients

• 6 cups All-purpose flour
• 4 tsp Baking powder
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 tbsp Aniseeds
• 1 cup Butter (melted)
• 2 cups Buttermilk

Instructions

1. 1Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large mixing bowl, combine the 6 cups of all-purpose flour, 4 tsp of baking powder, 1 cup of sugar, 1 tsp of salt, and 2 tbsp of aniseeds. Stir these dry ingredients together thoroughly with a whisk or spoon.
2. 2Add the 1 cup of melted butter and the 2 cups of buttermilk to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix gently with a spoon or spatula until the ingredients are just combined and a thick batter forms, being careful not to overmix.
3. 3Pour the batter evenly into a 9x13 inch baking pan. Bake in the preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
4. 4Carefully remove the baking pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Allow the bread to cool completely in the pan for at least 1-2 hours; this cooling step is important to ensure the bread is firm enough to cut without crumbling. Once completely cool, remove the bread from the pan and use a serrated knife to cut it into 1-inch thick slices, then cut each slice into 2-3 pieces to form the individual rusks.
5. 5Reduce the oven temperature to 200°F (95°C). Arrange the cut rusks in a single layer on one or two large baking sheets. Bake the rusks for 45 to 60 minutes, turning them over halfway through the baking time, until they feel completely dry and hard to the touch, with no remaining softness.
6. 6Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the rusks cool completely on the baking sheets or a wire rack. This final cooling ensures they become fully crisp. Once entirely cool, store the rusks in an airtight container at room temperature.

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