Recipe for hardtack

Hardtack Recipe

Shamlessly stolen from an American Civil War web site

"Probably the one, first, and most requested recipe on the net, in the discussion groups, or anywhere ACW enthusiasts get together, is for hardtack (also known as 'tack, ironplate biscuits, army bread, and other colorful names). OK, out of the 1862 US Army book of receipts, is one that is guaranteed to keep your dentist happy with bridge and upper plate work, and not satisfy your culinary hunger. But these actually work and stay fresh for eons. "

6 Cups Flour (unbleached)
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 Tablespoon Salt
1 1/2 to 2 1/2 cups Water ---- See note below

Preheated Oven to 400F

NOTE: - DO NOT ALL ALL THE WATER AT ONCE. ADD a bit at a time until you get a dough that is pliable and does not stick to your hands. THIS IS IMPORTANT a pizza dough consistency is good.


Quote:
WB note: - The above note is the key to making good Hard Tack. It needs to be very pliable and NOT stick to your hands, the bowl, anything other than itself



Take this mound of dough, and flatten it out onto a greased cookie sheet (the ones with a small lip around the edge...like a real shallow pan...), and roll the dough into a flat sheet aprx. 1/2 inch thick.

Using a bread knife, divide the dough into 16 squares.

taking a 10-penny nail, put a 3x3 matrix of holes into the surface of the dough, all the way thru, at even intervals (Village tinsmithing works sells a cutter that does all of this...works great!).

Bake in the oven for aprx 20 Min., till lightly browned.

Turn over do another 20 min.

Oven to 200 degrees – let sit about 2 hours.

Turn oven off and let cool.

"Do this the day before your go on the field, and your will have enough tack to fill your haversack. It will be somewhat soft on Saturday morning, but, by Sunday, you should soak it in your coffee before eating, else you will have a hard time chewing. "

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HARDTACK!

Looks um....... rather delicious! P

lol nice good ole' fashion animal food.. not as tastey as field rations I'll bet lmao huh Rich?.

Rattlehead wrote: lol nice good ole' fashion animal food.. not as tastey as field rations I'll bet lmao huh Rich?.

I'll take an M.R.E. anyday over hard tack. M.R.E.'s are about $7 bucks each, hard tack is cheap as hell to make.

looks good hiding