CAROB RUSKS
If you know me well enough you might have noticed that I am obsessed with carob rusks! The last years, I have spent hundreds of money energy on manufactured carob rusks wrapped in plastic packaging. As I am trying to eliminate buying plastic packaging and processed food. Thus, I attempted to translate the products I have tasted into something that resonated to my preference and body. I wanted to create an end product with my own sourdough starter in terms of purity and flavor and with flours from local farmers whom I trust.
The recipe evolved to be an improved adaptation to the products I have tasted so far and I adore the end result! Deep and intense carob flavor with sweetness and soft sourness from the sourdough starter, dense texture like a soft cookie with a pinch of salt to top up the unraveling of flavors. The end result is a bit softer if you are not baking it in a wood fired oven, but I personally don’t mind it :)
These carob rusks are a delicious alternative to barley or wheat rusks for the ones who cannot process modern wheat very well and have gluten sensitivity. It is also perfect for the ones who like to add some sweetness to their savoury munchies or searching for a new exciting alternative to their breakfast or brunch. I am including some mouth-watering serving tips after the recipe below!
This recipe is also a beautiful zero waste way to use your sourdough discard. If you are not acquainted with sourdough baking and you would like to learn more, join me in one of the Sourdough Bread Rituals that I will be hosting again this autumn and winter (November + December 2025) in Athens, Greece!
CAROB RUSKS
INGREDIENTS (makes approximately 15 small rusks)
200 g carob flour
55 g ancestral wheat flour (einkorn wheat) if you can’t source this one, emmer wheat is also fine
150 g sourdough starter discard, non-activated is ok
0.5 tablespoon (tbsp) carob syrup
4 tbsp olive oil
4 g sea salt, finely ground
140 g lukewarm water
EQUIPMENT
+ a bowl large enough to knead the dough in // preferably ceramic, stone or wood
+ a good working home oven or ideally a wood fired oven
+ 2 baking trays and baking paper
+ a knife
+ a jug or a container for liquids of at least 500 ml in volume size
+ a tea towel preferably linen or cotton
+ a wooden spoon
PREPARATION
In the large bowl sieve in the carob powder, the ancestral wheat flour, add the salt and mix well - using your hands or a wooden spoon.
In a jug or container for liquids combine the lukewarm water, the sourdough starter, the carob syrup, the olive oil and stir well – using a wooden spoon - until you get an homogenous solution.
Add the liquids to the flours and knead well using your hands to create a compact dough.
Let the dough rest well for at least 1 hour while being covered with a tea towel.
After that time, uncover the dough, knead it and fold it a couple of times. Transfer the dough on a clean working surface and shape it into 2 equally thick rectangular loaves. Transfer the loaves to a baking tray that you have previously lined with a piece of baking paper. Cover them with the tea towel and let them rest and ferment for at least 30 minutes.
After that time, slice the loaves half way through (leaving an uncut part close to the base of the loaf) into pieces of approximately 2 cm in thickness. In this way you start forming your rusks while still keeping them all together linked into one piece.
Bake the loaves in preheated oven at 230°C (conventional heating) at the middle rack for 15 minutes. After that baking time, remove the half-sliced loaves from the oven and let them rest for a few minutes (5 minutes) to slightly cool. At the same time lower your oven temperature to 160°C.
Now it is the moment to slice the loaves all the way through to create the separate rusk pieces. Place the rusks on a baking paper and bake them at 160°C as separate pieces for at least 50 minutes or until they are completely dry.
From experience, the rusks might still be a bit soft inside and contain moisture when baked at conventional oven. They will dry out completely when baked ideally in wood fired oven. Alternative you could dry them out a bit further at the fan function or attempt to dehydrate them a bit more in a dehydrator in case you have one.
Even if they stay a bit soft and not that hard towards the middle part of the rusk, I personally find it very nice and convenient as you won’t have to soak the rusk to consume it and it is a bit softer to the gums and teeth. Just be attentive to store them in a non-airtight container in a cool place or in an airtight container in the fridge to avoid spillage in case they still retain some humidity.
SERVING TIPS:
+ carob rusks with local thyme honey and white goat cheese.
+ carob rusks with blue cheese and fresh thyme.
+ carob rusks with cherry tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and fresh thyme.
+ carob rusks with white goat cheese and figs jam.
+ or just simply carob rusks warm straight out of the oven with some good quality butter and a pinch of sea salt on top.
And the list is endless! Just let yourself be guided by your body and senses on how you want to be nourished and notice which food flavors and textures indulge you into pleasure!
Much love,
Alexandra
