Sweet Rusks by R.Borgacci

What are

What are sweet rusks?

Sweet rusks are foods derived from cereals, or better, from wheat flour or Triticum aestivum .

Sweet rusks are basically industrial foods, although they can be prepared at home. From the nutritional point of view, they belong to the III fundamental group of foods - rich in starch, fiber, some vitamins and minerals. They lend themselves to most nutritional regimens even if, in hypocaloric and therapeutic diets against certain diseases of the metabolism, they may be inadequate due to the excess of soluble / simple sugars - glucose, maltose, sucrose - and fat - sprayed even superficially during production cycle to increase the gilding effect.

The sweet rusks, as well as the wholegrain rusks and the simple rusks, represent the commercial alter ego of the bread bruschetta and / or the stale bread - if desired, also of the roasted sliced ​​polenta.

The shape of the sweet rusks is identical to that of sliced ​​sliced ​​bread, with sides of the base of about 8-9 cm and a thickness of 1 cm; the color is more golden at the edges; sometimes they are round or with a more rectangular base. Compared to common bread, they are crumb-free and have a completely crunchy consistency; the rind is only slightly darker and more compact. Being subjected to two firings, they contain a higher level of malt-dextrin, lower humidity and a decidedly sweeter taste.

Sweet rusks are used, such as desserts and wholegrain, especially as a substitute or analogue of bread; nevertheless, compared to the others, they have a greater aptitude to accompany sweet foods. In Italy, the main use is at breakfast or in secondary snacks - placed between main meals, then mid-morning and / or mid-afternoon. The association with salted foods - meats and cheeses - is less typical.

Nutritional Properties

Nutritional properties of sweet rusks

Note : This paragraph refers to the recipe of sweet rusks of industrial production.

Sweet rusks are high energy density foods; this characteristic is determined by the high concentration of carbohydrates, the very low humidity and the presence of lipids necessary for the dough and the gilding. Sweet rusks contain a medium-low amount of protein and a significant concentration of dietary fiber. Carbohydrates are mainly complex - starch - but the fraction of simple is still high - maltose, glucose, sucrose. Fatty acids have a prevalence of unsaturated and peptides of medium biological value chains.

The starchy polymers and the proteins of the sweet rusks, undergoing a double cooking, undergo thermal hydrolysis - increasing the percentage of malt-dextrins and maltose - and denaturation. Compared to bread, this aspect favors the reduction of digestive times; this characteristic determines a greater speed of absorption and the consequent soaring of the glycemic-insulin index. Note : if the fat percentage was lower, the aforementioned parameters would be even higher.

The sweet rusks have a moderate fiber content - while it is high in the integral ones - and are cholesterol-free. They contain gluten and may have small concentrations of lactose. The level of histamine is negligible. Purines and phenylalanine appear in medium-low amounts.

Regarding the mineral profile, the sweet rusks contain a reasonable level of iron - even if not very bioavailable - but this is probably due to the high nutritional concentration caused by the lack of water. They are present, but less relevant than the integral rusks, potassium, magnesium and zinc. The sodium concentration is excessive. As regards vitamins, the content of various water-soluble molecules of group B, especially thiamine (vit B1), riboflavin (vit B2) and niacin (vit PP), is appreciable.

Diet

Sweet rusks in the diet

Sweet rusks are suitable for most diets. However, due to:

• considerable energy density
• large glycemic load
• high glycemic-insulin index
• considerable and unexpected presence of lipids

in the case of overweight, it is essential not to overdo the portion and frequency of consumption.

Furthermore, these glycemic-insulin loading and indexes are contraindicated in the diet of type 2 diabetic and hypertriglyceridemic.

Sweet rusks are not a complete protein source. The biological value, of medium entity - does not contain all the essential amino acids for humans in the right quantities and proportions - requires to be compensated by taking food sources that contain the so-called limiting amino acids. Among these - not necessarily taken at the same meal - we can include all foods of animal origin, certain legumes, other seeds and seaweed.

The lipid profile of the sweet rusks is discreet. Unsaturated fatty acids are more abundant and cholesterol does not appear; this can play to the advantage, or simply not hinder, the food therapy against dyslipidemia or other metabolic pathologies.

The appreciable quantity of iron, even if not bioavailable, makes sweet rusks a preferable food compared to many others in the same category but poorer than this mineral. However, rusks cannot replace the most important food sources of bio-available iron such as meat, fish and eggs, which are necessary to prevent - cure iron deficiency anemia - more frequent in fertile women, pregnant women, etc. The modest but still significant content of potassium and magnesium helps to cover the specific nutritional requirements of these alkalizing minerals and necessary for the transmission of the neuro-muscular action potential; in the body they decrease with increasing sweating and with fecal-urinary losses. Zinc, however more abundant in many other foods, is essential for the establishment of antioxidant enzymes and to maintain thyroid health.

The B group vitamins play the role of coenzymes. The rusks are not one of the most important food sources but participate in achieving the recommended ration, partially supporting the efficiency of all the fabrics.

Sweet rusks are not suitable for the celiac diet. If they are free of milk and derivatives, they are suitable for nutritional therapy against lactose intolerance and milk protein allergy. They can be used in the diet against hyperuricemia, histamine intolerance and phenylketonuria.

Being considered of good digestibility, the sweet rusks are sometimes recommended in the food therapy of those suffering from digestive disorders, for example: stomach acid, hiatal hernia and gastroesophageal reflux disease, gastritis and gastric or duodenal peptic ulcer.

They are all suitable for vegetarian philosophy, while only those without milk and derivatives, eggs and animal derivatives and fats lend themselves to the vegan diet. Relevance to religious diets is to be analyzed case by case, looking at the list of ingredients.

Kitchen

Sweet rusks in the kitchen

Sweet rusks are bread substitutes. They are eaten mainly for breakfast or snacks. They are associated above all with sweet foods such as: jam, jam, jelly, honey, condensed milk, spreadable hazelnut-cocoa cream - nutella type - etc; they are good for the insgroup in milk, fruit juice and orange juice. Obviously, nothing prevents you from associating the sweet rusks with mainly salty ingredients; they are quite frequent combinations with spreadable cheese - like crescenza, squacquerone, stracchino, philadelphia, certosa, robiola or robiolino, gorgonzola, mascarpone etc. - or with cured meats such as raw ham, cooked ham, salami, mortadella, pancetta, coppa etc.

recipe

How are the industrial sweet rusks made?

The sweet rusks could be compared to the toasted bread produced with a recipe rich in maltose - responsible for the sweet taste.

Ingredients of industrial sweet rusks

The ingredients of the commercial sweet rusks are: type 00 soft wheat flour, vegetable oil - also palm oil - brewer's yeast, sugar - dextrose and / or saccharose - barley malt extract, "malted" wheat flour and salt. Note : Except for the dietary ones, although they may differ slightly depending on the producer, sweet rusks all have more or less the same recipe.

Process of industrial sweet rusks

The procedure is completely automated. After the dough, the leavening and the first firing of the loaf from which the sweet rusks will be obtained, the typical spraying is applied consecutively - to give more browning - and a toasting heat treatment - to increase the crunchiness and friability . These last passages guarantee a lower percentage of water and a greater lipidic contribution, which contribute to a greater energy density and increase the digestibility of the crumb compared to traditional bread. The process ends with the packaging, which guarantees the maintenance of the organoleptic and gustatory characteristics of the sweet rusks for a long period of time.

How are sweet homemade rusks made?

Sweet rusks can also be produced at home.

Ingredients of homemade sweet rusks

The ingredients of the sweet rusks are: type 00 soft wheat flour, butter, brewer's yeast, table sugar, eggs, milk, water and salt. Note : for the vegan equivalent, milk, eggs and butter can be replaced by other water and oil or margarine, but the result is not superimposable.

Preparation of sweet homemade rusks

The procedure is carried out as follows: sift the flour and arrange it in a fountain. Dissolve the yeast in a little water and add it to the flour with the rest of the water along with the milk, sugar and eggs. Knead vigorously and, only later, add the salt and the softened butter. Let rise to reach twice the initial volume. Break the dough by spreading the dough and then rolling it up on itself. Place it in a bread mold in a box lined with baking paper and let rise again; brush on the surface with beaten egg or milk and bake cooking - static mode - at 180 ° C for 40 '. Turn out and leave to cool. Cut the bread into slices about a centimeter and then place them in a baking tray. Bake again in a ventilated oven at 130 ° for 45 '; leave to cool and consume.