Hard Tack Food

SIMPLE HARDTACK

Steps:

• Mix the flour, water and salt together, and make sure the mixture is fairly dry.
• Then roll it out to about 1/2 inch thickness, and shape it into a rectangle. Cut it into 3×3 inch squares, and poke holes in both sides.
• Place on an un-greased cookie or baking sheet, and cook for 30 minutes per side at 375? (or 350? if you have a convection oven).
• When it's done, you'll want to let it dry and harden for a few days, just out in the open. When it has the consistency of a brick, it's fully cured. Then simply store it in an airtight container or bucket. To prepare for eating, soak it in water or milk for about 15 minutes, and then fry in a buttered skillet. You can eat it with cheese, soup or just plain with a little salt added. Any way you do it, it's delicious!

HOW TO MAKE HARDTACK

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 375 °F (191 °C). The prep time for hardtack is fast, so preheat your oven first. By the time the oven is ready, you can carry out all the prep work.
• Pour 2 cups (256 g) of white flour into a mixing bowl. Any type of flour will work for this recipe, but hardtack made from white flour lasts the longest. Different flours like whole wheat or rye produce hardtack that won't last as long.Add more if you want a bigger batch of hardtack. Make sure to keep the flour and water at a 2-1 mixture. If you use a different type of flour, keep the amount the same.
• Mix in 1 cup (240 ml) of water into the flour. Take the water cup in one hand and slowly pour it into the flour while using your other hand to knead the dough. Introduce the water gradually by pouring in a little, mixing the dough, and then pouring more. Continue this process until you've used all the water.
• Knead the dough into a ball. Using both hands, work the dough with your hands until it reaches a uniform consistency. It will feel like playdough when it's mixed. If the dough gets flaky, add a few more drops of water. You can use a mixing spoon for this step, but the dough might be too tough to mix completely with a spoon. Your hands work best. Use plastic cooking gloves if you don't want your hands to get messy. You can also add 2 tsp (11.38 g) of salt, but this is optional.
• Roll the dough until it's 1⁄4 inch (0.64 cm) thick. Sprinkle some more flour down so the dough doesn't stick to your rolling surface. Then use a rolling pin to flatten out the dough. Keep rolling until the dough is about 1⁄4 inch (0.64 cm) thick. You could also use a plastic tube or a longer glass if you don't have a rolling pin.
• Cut the dough into 3 in (7.6 cm) x 3 in (7.6 cm) squares. Hardtack was traditionally made into large square crackers, so use this shape for authentic hardtack. Use either a knife or a pizza cutter to slice the dough into even squares. This size is just a suggestion. You can cut the dough into any shape or size you want. Some people use cookie cutters to make smaller, more portable crackers. Don't get rid of leftover pieces. Cook them along with the other pieces too.
• Poke evenly-spaced holes in straight lines in each cracker. Holes allow the air and moisture to escape while the hardtack bakes. Use a knife or fork to poke a series of evenly-spaced holes through the dough. Keep the holes in a straight line so the hardtack cracker is easier to break when you eat it. There is no set number of holes, but more is better. This releases more air and moisture and makes the cracker last even longer. The holes must be all the way through the cracker. Flip each one over to make sure you've pierced the dough all the way.

HOW TO EAT HARDTACK

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 °F (191 °C). Setting the oven at least 10-15 minutes before you put the hardtack in to bake will allow you to make hardtack as quickly as possible.
• Combine flour, salt, and water in a large mixing bowl. Add 5 cups (1,200 mL) of whole wheat flour, 2 cups (470 mL) of water, and 1 teaspoon (4.9 mL) of table salt. Whole wheat flour will flavor your hardtack. If you don't have whole wheat flour, though, white flour will suffice.
• Knead the ingredients by hand until thoroughly mixed. Use both hands to work the water into the dry ingredients. Keep kneading until the flour and salt are fully worked into dough. Once kneaded, the dough should have a dry, slightly crumbly consistency.
• Roll out the dough until it's 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) thick. Place the dough on your counter or on a flour-covered rolling board. Evenly roll the dough with a rolling pin. If you'd prefer slightly thicker biscuits, try rolling the dough to 3⁄8 inch (0.95 cm) thick.
• Cut uniform 3 in (7.6 cm) hardtack biscuits from the dough. Use a pair of kitchen shears to cut square biscuits from the rolled-out dough. Each biscuit should be roughly 3 inches (7.6 cm) by 3 inches (7.6 cm). They don't need to be exact, so make your best estimate. If you prefer that your hardtack not be in squares, you could cut out the dough using a cookie cutter.
• Arrange the hardtack pieces on a cookie sheet for baking. Once you've cut the hardtack pieces out, set them onto a cookie sheet. The hardtack won't expand much in the oven, so you can set the pieces about 1⁄2 in (1.3 cm) apart from one another.
• Cook the dough for 30 minutes on each side. Slide the cookie sheet into the oven and set a timer for 30 minutes. Once the first 30 minutes have passed, flip the pieces of hardtack over and bake them for another 30 minutes. Use an oven mitt when pulling the cookie sheet out of the oven. To keep your fingers from getting burned, use a metal spatula to flip the hardtack over.
• Cool and dry the hardtack for 4 days after baking. After the full 60 minutes have passed, use an oven mitt to pull the hardtack out of the oven. Place them on a cooling rack until fully cooled. Leave the hardtack on the cooling rack to dry. The drying process will take at least 4 days. Set the cooling rack of hardtack in an out-of-the-way location so that it won't be bumped while the hardtack dries.
• Store the hardtack in an airtight container. Once the hardtack has cooled, you're ready to store it. Since none of the ingredients in hardtack can spoil, hardtack can keep for 20 years. The hardtack will keep as long as it's stored in an airtight container in a dry environment. If the stored hardtack becomes mushy or softens, throw it out.

HARDTACK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400F and lightly grease a baking sheet.
• Mix the ingredients into a dough and roll out to a thickness of about 1/2 inch.
• Cut into squares.
• Prick the squares all over in an even pattern with a fork or knife.
• Place them on a lightly greased baking pan and bake 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.