Rusk

A rusk is a dry, crisp baked bread or biscuit. It is usually baked, sliced if needed, then baked again to drive off moisture and give it a long-keeping crunch.

Eat it plain or spread it with butter, jam or cheese; dunking it briefly in tea or coffee softens it without making it fall apart. A thick barley rusk can be moistened and topped with chopped tomato, cheese and olive oil, as in the Greek dish dakos.

Yes. Crush it finely and use it to coat fish or vegetables, or mix it into meatballs and meatloaf to help bind them. Because rusk is very dry, add a little more liquid if the mixture seems stiff.

Sprinkle or brush it with water, stock or milk, then leave it for a few minutes to absorb the liquid. For dakos, moisten barley rusks just enough to soften the surface while keeping the centre pleasantly firm.

Keep them in an airtight tin or container in a cool, dry cupboard; moisture makes them lose their crunch. Once a pack is open, seal it promptly rather than leaving the rusks exposed.

For a coating or binder, use dried breadcrumbs; for a crisp snack, try crispbread or melba toast. To replace a thick barley rusk in dakos, use another sturdy crisp bread that can hold juicy tomato and olive oil without collapsing.

Both are dry, crisp baked foods, and zwieback is also traditionally baked twice. They are close relatives, but recipes and shapes differ: zwieback is often a lightly sweetened, sliced bread, while rusk can refer to several kinds of twice-baked bread or biscuit.