Rusk

A hard, dry biscuit or bread that has been baked twice so it keeps for a long time, eaten dipped in coffee, tea or milk.

Rusk: Crisp dry golden rusks, one dipped in a cup of coffee
  • Cakes, cookies, pastries and baked goods

Rusks are made by baking a loaf, cake or bread, slicing or breaking it into pieces and drying it slowly in a low oven until crisp throughout. Many countries have their own versions, including German zwieback, Dutch beschuit, Greek paximadia, Scandinavian skorpor and South African rusks made with buttermilk.

Because they contain so little moisture, rusks keep for weeks in an airtight container. They are traditionally dunked to soften them. Italian biscotti are made in a similar twice-baked way.

Bake it at VanillaGoods

Related entries

Sources

Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.

  1. Biscotti, Zwieback, twice-baked goods, University of Minnesota Duluth (Anthropology of Food)
  2. Biscuits, Encyclopedia of Food and Culture (via Encyclopedia.com)