BUTTERMILK RUSKS

Ingredients

375g butter
500g sugar
2 extra large eggs
1,5kg self-raising flour
30ml baking powder
500ml buttermilk

Method

• Preheat oven to 180°C.
• Cream the butter and sugar together.
• Add the eggs, one at a time.
• Sift the flour and baking powder together. Using a fork to mix add this to the creamed mixture.
• Add the buttermilk. Mix well with a fork and then knead lightly.
• Pack lightly rolled, golf ball sized buns of the dough onto greased bread pans close together, and bake for 45-55 minutes. Place the pans in the middle of the oven, with a sheet of brown paper on the top shelf to protect the buns from becoming browned too quickly.
• Remove the paper after the buns are well risen and cooked through, to brown the tops.
• Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting. Turn the buns out onto a wire rack, allow to cool and then separate using 2 forks.
• Pack them on wire racks or on cooled oven racks, the air must circulate. Place them in the cool oven, leaving the door ajar, for 4-5 hours, or overnight, to dry out.