To Make Duch Ruske
From the treasured pages of Receipts in cookery and medicine 1700
Unknown Author
To Make Duch Ruske
"Take 2 full quarts of fine flower a large halfe pound of suger finely beaten: Aniseeds & Coriander seeds of each an ounce beaten & sifted one ounce of Caraway seeds whole a small nuttmegg Grated & halfe a powder of whit ginger slice something more then a quarter of a pound of butterr into a pint of scumed milk sheir it tell it be melted then stir it tell it be blood warme put in ye suger & seeds in the flower & 22 spoonfulls of new Ale yest & leavening none of the butterr make it up in a soft past bake it in Round Cakes then Cut them in Round slices & put them in againe to Crisp"
Note on the Original Text
The recipe is written as a flow of practical instructions, typical of the early 18th century, with ingredients and method blended together. Quantities are often given by volume or vague measures (like '22 spoonfulls'), reflecting how cooks relied on experience and visual cues rather than precise measurement. Ingredient names follow historical spellings—‘flower’ for flour, 'suger' for sugar, and 'yest' for yeast. Spelling and grammar were not standardized, and ‘leavening’ refers to the use of yeast for the rise. The technique of twice-baking is implied rather than named, as was common in period recipes.
Title
Receipts in cookery and medicine 1700 (1700)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Unknown
Era
1700
Publisher
Unknown
Background
Step into the kitchen of the early 18th century, where this charming culinary manuscript tempts tastebuds with recipes and secrets from a bygone era. A delicious journey for both the curious cook and the history lover.
Kindly made available by
Folger Shakespeare Library
This recipe comes from an English household manuscript dating to around 1700, a time when baking was both a daily affair and a special treat. 'Duch Ruske' refers to Dutch Rusks—crisp, twice-baked breads or cakes inspired by Dutch culinary traditions. Bread, rusks, and similar baked goods were common in England thanks to trade and cultural exchange with the Low Countries. Recipes like this show how English kitchens experimented with spices and methods imported from abroad, all while still using local ingredients. The use of ale yeast and a heavy hand with the spices was typical of festive or special-occasion breads during this period. At the time, sugar and exotic spices like aniseed and coriander were prized for flavor and display of status.
Back in 1700, this recipe would have required a large wooden or ceramic mixing bowl, a wooden spoon for stirring, and perhaps a mortar and pestle for grinding the spices. Ale yeast would be scooped directly from the ale barrel. The dough would be shaped by hand on a wooden board, then baked on heavy iron or earthenware baking plates inside a wood-fired oven. After the first bake, the cakes would be sliced with a large knife and returned to the cooling oven to crisp up, probably on slatted trays or directly on the oven floor.
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Servings
16
We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!
Ingredients
- 8 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ounce aniseed (ground, or substitute with star anise)
- 1 ounce coriander seeds (ground)
- 1 ounce caraway seeds (whole)
- 1 whole nutmeg, grated
- 1 tablespoon (1/3 ounce) ground white ginger (or regular ginger if white ginger unavailable)
- 10 tablespoons (5 ounces) unsalted butter
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 1/3 cups fresh ale yeast (substitute: about 1 ounce fresh baker's yeast and 1 1/4 cups light ale or beer)
Instructions
- To make Duch Ruske in a modern kitchen, start by combining 8 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour with about 1 cup of white granulated sugar.
- To this, add ground aniseed and coriander seeds (1 ounce each), and whole caraway seeds (1 ounce), along with one grated nutmeg and about 1/3 ounce (1 tablespoon) of ground white ginger.
- Warm 5 ounces (10 tablespoons) of unsalted butter in 2 cups of whole milk, stirring gently until the butter is melted and the mixture is just warm to the touch—no hotter than body temperature.
- Mix the flour, sugar, and spice mixture, then stir in the warm milk and butter.
- Add 1 1/3 cups (about 22 tablespoons) of fresh ale yeast, or use a combination of baker's yeast with a splash of beer as a substitute.
- Knead together into a soft dough, then shape into round cakes.
- Bake until set, slice into rounds, and return the slices to the oven to crisp them—much like making rusks or biscotti.
Estimated Calories
300 per serving
Cooking Estimates
It takes about 15 minutes to mix the dough and shape the cakes, and around 45 minutes to bake and crisp them. Each cake has about 300 calories, and this recipe makes about 16 cakes.
As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.
We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.
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