Wheat rusks

Dip them briefly in tea, coffee or warm milk, then eat before they turn completely soggy. For a softer bowl, crumble them into milk or yoghurt and leave them for a few minutes.

Yes. Crush them finely in a bag with a rolling pin and use them to coat fish, chicken or vegetables, or to top a bake. They are already dry, so brown them gently and watch they do not catch.

Keep them in an airtight tin or container in a cool, dry cupboard. If they absorb moisture and lose their crunch, spread them on a tray and dry them in a low oven at about 120 °C for 10–15 minutes, then cool before sealing.

They are good with tea or coffee, and work well topped with butter, jam, cheese or hummus. Crumbled rusks also add crunch to yoghurt or fruit.

Slice a plain wheat loaf, arrange the slices on a tray and bake at 150 °C, turning once, until dry and crisp, usually 25–40 minutes depending on thickness. Cool fully before storing so trapped warmth does not soften them.

No: wheat rusks are made from wheat and contain gluten. Choose a clearly labelled gluten-free crispbread or cracker instead.

They are much drier and more concentrated by weight: wheat toast has 44.5 g carbohydrate and 8.7 g fibre per 100 g, while wheat rusks have 71 g carbohydrate and 4.2 g fibre. Compare portions by weight, since a rusk slice and a slice of toast are not equally heavy.