Every summer holiday we’d visit my grandparents in Stilbaai, for the last 16 years. And every year my grandmother and I would bake beskuit. Or rusks. But there is a distinct difference between rusks you buy in Europe and the Americas, and rusks you buy in South Africa. There is also a difference between rusks you buy in stores, and my granny’s homemade rusks.

Store bought rusks all taste and look the same. They’re reliable in that way, you always get exactly what you got the previous time you purchased it. But it’s not exciting. Well, not to me anyway. Every box of Ouma’s in every supermarket countrywide look and taste the same. Not that there is anything wrong with Ouma’s, but if you can bake, you have no excuse to still buy them. I like how homemade beskuit isn’t perfect. I like how every new batch looks different, tastes a little different and warms up your home with that delicious smell. I like that no two pieces ever break out of the pan in the same way. I like sneaking a taste of the beskuit when it’s fresh out of the oven, still soft and moist, before the drying process starts. And I love getting my hands dirty, feeling the roughness of the bran mixing with the softer wet ingredients. And I love how you can make every batch exactly like you want it. Personalize it a bit. Add some of your favourite ingredients, give it a twist. Store bought rusks don’t give you that. It’s too generic. Want buttermilk rusks? Sure, here’s buttermilk rusks. It might taste like it needs more salt or sugar or something, but tough. You’re just getting buttermilk.

Tuisnywerhede also bake beskuit, which generally tastes a lot better than some of the store bought pieces of rock. They have that authenticity about them. Something in the taste that says, real hands mixed me and pressed me into pans. Real people cut me up and wrapped me with love in cellophane paper, sticking on a label. Real people took the time to make sure I got to you, I was loved even before you dipped me into your coffee and enjoyed me. It feels better eating something which I know was made with real ingredients that I can actually pronounce, rather than just E numbers and corn syrup on the ingredients label.

Yet, there is nothing like baking your own beskuit. Once in a while, when baking, you should get your hands dirty and really feel the stuff you’re working with. Besides the experience, the smell is divine. It lends your home a warmth that seeps right into your soul and stirs up nostalgic memories of curling up on winter nights in front of a fireplace with family all around you.

Beskuit is by no means a stylish thing to bake, or something you’re going to serve to your guests on a silver platter. But it’s great any time of the day. Traditionally beskuit is dipped into tea or coffee and then eaten. Calculating the perfect moment to take your beskuit out of your hot drink can sometimes be as entertaining as it is frustrating: too soon and the rusk is too hard to really enjoy, too late and you end up with it breaking off in your cup, and then you’re stuck fishing it out with a teaspoon (which brings up another point, never eat beskuit without a teaspoon handy). But the taste andenjoyment is completely worth getting your fingers wet every now and again.

The great thing about it is its longevity. If you take care when storing your rusks, it can last up to 9 months (not that mine ever lasts that long). For me, that’s fantastic. I love rusks as a quick breakfast, especially during the winter months. And having an office job, they also come in handy as snacks when my favourite fruits are out of season, which is mostly winter. Rusks take time to make and staying up late during the winter has never been something I’m good with. I like to curl up in bed with a book when I’m cold. So I tend to bake my rusks during the summer months when I’m on vacation and the only thing keeping me busy during the day is my daughter and the sunshine.

I store my rusks in an airtight Tupperware container or cookie tin, whichever one is freed up from its last use. Just to catch crumbs, I line the containers with wax paper. Makes cleaning easier, and looks neat when you pack it away for hibernation.

I’ve posted the recipe to my granny’s rusks, along with variations I like to use. If there is any uncertainty regarding the quantities I use, please do not hesitate to ask, I’ll gladly answer any questions. Until then, happy baking!