Buttermilk rusks

1. Spray two 30 x 36 x 7 cm baking trays with nonstick baking spray.
2. Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl. Cut in the butter or margarine. Rub in until it resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Mix in buttermilk to form a firm dough.
4. Break off small pieces of dough and shape them into balls.
5. Place close together in sprayed baking trays.
6. Brush the side of each row with melted butter before putting in the next row so that the rusks can be broken apart easily later.
7. Bake in a preheated oven at 240 °C for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 190 °C and bake for a further 35-50 minutes, then brush with diluted milk.
8. Turn out on to a cooling rack and break in three so that rusks will cool more quickly.
9. When cool, break into neat portions and allow to dry out in the oven set at 100 °C.