What is Hardtack you ask? Well, I'm glad you asked. Hardtack is a cracker-like biscuit made of flour, salt and water and was one of the most typical rations issued to soldier by the U.S. government because it was fairly nutritious and unlikely to spoil. This hard bread was made in government bakeries located in cities and shipped in barrels to the troops. Hardtack had to be tough to withstand the trip. Many Civil War soldiers complained about this ration noting the extreme hardness of the biscuits (sometimes called "teeth-dullers"), which at times had to be broken with a rifle "butt" or a "blow of the fist" to prepare for eating. Soldiers sometimes softened the pieces by soaking them in coffee, frying them in bacon grease, or crumbling them in soup.
Hardtack could become infested with insects in the government storehouses or during the soldier's travels. One disappointed soldier claimed that "All the fresh meat we had come in the hard bread!" - Courtesy of the Office of Historic Alexandria.
How to make Hardtack
Preheat oven to 400° F
For each cup of flower add 1 tsp of salt
Mix salt and flour with just enough water to bind.
Bake 20-25 minutes
The longer you bake the hardtack, the more authentic it will appear.
The basic ingredients are: flour, salt and water. General directions are also similar: Disolve salt in water and work into flour with your hands. Dough should be firm and pliable, but not sticky or too dry. Flatten onto a cookie sheet to about 1/4 inch thick, and cut into squares 3 inches by 3 inches. Pierce each square with 16 holes about 1/2 inch apart. Bake in oven until edges are brown or dough is hard.
We decided that Hardtack was actually not bad at all. I thought it was a little too salty and can't believe they made the soldiers eat it when they only had one canteen of water a day to drink and that included being used for cooking.
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