Name: Condensed Milk Rusks
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Ingredients: 500 grams self-raising flour; ½ teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon baking soda ((bicarb/bread soda)); 65 grams white sugar ((caster/granulated)); 125 grams butter; 125 grams milk; 1 egg ((large - no. 7)); 1 tin sweetened condensed milk ((395 grams/14oz))

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These delicious, rich, tasty homemade condensed milk rusks are really easy to make. The perfect rusk to dunk in coffee or tea!

Condensed milk rusks on a serving platter.

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What are condensed milk rusks and where do they come from?
South African Rusks
Why is this particular recipe only a "half-batch" of rusks?
Ingredients
Making Condensed Milk Rusks
Pro Tips for this Recipe
Storage and Freezing
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What are condensed milk rusks and where do they come from?

A rusk is a twice-baked biscuit that can be made from bread, bread dough, cake or quick-type doughs such as this recipe or my buttermilk rusk recipe. Once the bread, cake or rusk dough has been baked it is then torn apart or cut into slices and baked again until completely dry.

Rusks and different varieties can be found across the globe. One of the more popular commercial flavours available is buttermilk and condensed milk rusks.

These particular rusks are flavoured with condensed milk, which gives them a sweeter milkier flavour than my buttermilk rusks.

South African Rusks

Rusks have been found in South Africa since the 1690s. They were originally made by baking and then drying out bread to preserve and extend its life by removing all residual moisture.

Over the last few centuries, a variety of rusk recipes has emerged. Some recipes call for yeast or sourdough starter while others (such as this recipe) use self-raising flour or baking soda and baking powder.

Rusks are also sold across the country, either as the more commercially made versions or homemade-style. The most famous commercially made rusks are Ouma rusks.

Why is this particular recipe only a "half-batch" of rusks?

The idea for a condensed milk rusk recipe has been rattling around my head since I started Salty Ginger. Honestly, they may be my favourite flavour/variety of rusks. I wanted a recipe that used a full tin of condensed milk, was sweet but not too sweet and had a condensed milk flavour!

Because I feel that my buttermilk rusk recipe is perfect (in my opinion), I decided to use this recipe as my base recipe. Then I investigated the ingredient list for Ouma's Condensed Milk Rusks and was disappointed that these rusks seem to contain no condensed milk, just flavourings.

So I hopped over to Woolworths SA and checked out that ingredient list, which contained at least 6% of condensed milk but also contained flavourings.

After testing a few batches, it became pretty apparent to me that in order to tick all my boxes, the ideal ratio of condensed milk to flour was 1 tin to 500 grams, which is a half-batch of rusks when compared to my buttermilk rusks.

But, remember, my recipe cards allow you to scale up the recipe to 2x if you feel the need to bake more than 25 (more or less) rusks at once!

Ingredients

Here are some notes on the ingredients used in this recipe. Please see the recipe card for quantities.

Flour - most buttermilk rusk recipes call for self-raising/self-rising flour. This is basically plain, standard grade or cake flour (South Africa) that already contains baking powder. These rusks can be made with self-raising flour or plain flour. See the notes below.
Salt is a crucial ingredient in all baked goods. I use table salt in all my recipes. One teaspoon of table salt equals 1.5 teaspoons of Morton Kosher Salt equals 2 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal.
Baking soda (bicarbonate of soda or bread soda) is added to the flour to give a bit more lift because we do knead this dough a little bit. Baking soda reacts with the acidity of the condensed milk.
An egg helps bind everything together.
Butter adds to the depth of flavour. You can substitute butter with a vegan baking alternative if you so wish.
Sweetened condensed milk gives these rusks both sweetness and that delicious condensed milk flavour.
Sugar to add a little sweetness.
Milk to add a bit of richness and moisture.

Test the freshness of your baking powder or baking soda (bicarbonate of soda or bread soda) by placing a small amount in some boiling water. If it bubbles and fizzes, it's good to use!

Salt is a crucial ingredient in all baked goods. I use table salt in all my recipes. One teaspoon of table salt equals 1.5 teaspoons of Morton Kosher Salt equals 2 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal.

Making Condensed Milk Rusks without self-raising/self-rising flour

To make condensed milk rusks without self-raising/self-rising flour:

for chunky bolletjie rusks add 5 level teaspoons of baking powder
for sliced rusks add 3.5 level teaspoons of baking powder

Room Temperature Ingredients

Use room temperature ingredients! Using room temperature ingredients ensures that ingredients in the batter or dough will incorporate easier. Take note that room temperature refers to around 20°C/68F.

To bring eggs to room temperature quickly, place them into warm water for about 10 to 15 minutes.
To bring butter to room temperature quickly, cut the butter into cubes and zap in the microwave at 20% power in 10-second intervals. Or place the cubes in a bowl over warm water (such as with a double boiler) over low heat for 1 minute!
Milk, buttermilk, and cream can be brought to room temperature by zapping in the microwave at 20% power in 10-second intervals. Or on a low heat for a minute or two swirling every 10-15 seconds.

Weighing Ingredients

Weighing & Measuring Ingredients

Weighing ingredients with a kitchen scale is more accurate than using measuring cups. All my recipes are developed and tested using grams only.

However, I have activated the grams-to-cups conversions on the recipe card. Simply click on "cups". For these conversions, cups are equal to 240mL/8 fl oz, tablespoons are 15mL and teaspoons are 5mL.

Making Condensed Milk Rusks

Step 1 - Preheat the oven to 200°C/390F, or 180°C. Grease and line a 9"x9" (23cmx23cm) square tin if making sliced rusks or a loaf tin for chunky rusks.

Step 2 - Weigh out the flour, and add in the salt and baking soda. Whisk through to remove any lumps and distribute the ingredients through the flour.

Baking soda, baking powder, and salt whisked through the flour.

Step 3 - Melt the butter, then add in the sugar and whisk through until completely dissolved. The sugar may need to be heated with the butter to completely dissolve.

Step 4 - Whisk together the egg and milk. Add the milk mixture, butter mixture and tin of sweetened condensed milk to the flour. Mix with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula until a dough has formed. Knead the dough a few times in the bowl to allow for some gluten formation.

Step 4 - condensed milk rusk dough in a bowl.

Step 5 - To make chunky condensed milk rusks roll out golf-ball-sized pieces of dough and place them in the loaf tin, with their sides touching. To make sliced condensed milk rusks, press the dough into the square tin.

TIP - placing a bit of oil on your hands will stop the dough from sticking.

Step 5 - Condensed milk rusk dough pressed into a 9"x9" cake tin.

Step 6 - Bake the rusks for 45 to 60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean from the centre of the rusks. The rusks will have doubled in size during the baking process.

TIP - if the rusks are browning too quickly in the oven when checking them at the halfway mark, cover them with foil for the rest of the bake.

TIP - when I bake the balls or bolletjies of dough in a loaf tin it takes about 45 minutes to bake, while a large slice takes about 45 to 60 minutes to bake. Because all ovens are different, check the loaves at the 30, 45 and 60-minute mark.

Step 7 - Allow the rusk to cool for 10-15 minutes before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Once completely cooled, you can carefully tear apart the rusks if starting with balls of dough, or slice the rusk using a serrated knife. Place the sliced. Place the rusks on a baking sheet, in a single layer, set your oven to a maximum of 110°C/230F (cool oven), preferably with the fan on to dry the rusks out. This process can take anywhere from 3 to 6 hours, usually dependent on the thickness of your rusks.

Step 7 - Condensed milk rusks being sliced for drying.

Step 8 - When the rusks are dry, store them in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to a month. Serve with a hot cup of tea or coffee for dunking.

Pro Tips for this Recipe

Ovens

The temperatures stated are for conventional ovens. For convection, fan-forced, fan-assisted, or air-fryers, the temperature must be reduced by 20°C/25°F.

For baking, make sure the oven is fully preheated, and that the rack is in the middle of the oven. Open the oven as little as possible. For best baking results use an oven thermometer.

Remember that all ovens work slightly differently and bake times may need to be adjusted for your specific oven.

Bakeware

Metal bakeware is superior when it comes to baking biscuits, cookies, brownies, muffins and quick bread, scones, cakes. These heat up and cool down faster than glassware. Glassware is heavier, heats up and cools down slower than metal and is more suited for bread puddings, pies, crisps, crumbles and cobblers.

Storage and Freezing

These rusks can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container or biscuit tin for a month because the moisture has been driven off the biscuits.

Condensed milk rusks on a plate with a cup of coffee.

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