Army Hardtack Recipe

Ingredients:
4 cups flour (perferably whole wheat)
4 teaspoons salt
Water (about 2 cups)
Pre-heat oven to 375 F
Makes about 10 pieces
Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl. Add just enough water (less than two
cups) so that the mixture will stick together, producing a dough that won t stick
to hands, rolling pin or pan. Mix the dough by hand. Roll the dough out, shaping
it roughly into a rectangle. Cut into the dough into squares about 3 x 3 inches
and inch thick.
After cutting the squares, press a pattern of four rows of four holes into each
square, using a nail or other such object. Do not punch through the dough. The a
ppearance you want is similar to that of a modern saltine cracker. Turn each squ
are over and do the same thing to the other side.
Place the squares on an ungreased cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 30 minut
es. Turn each piece over and bake for another 30 minutes. The crackers should be
slightly brown on both sides.
The fresh crackers are easily broken but as they dry, they harden and assume the
consistentency of fired brick.
Swedish Hardtack
1 cup water
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
3 tbsp. honey
3 cups rye flour (or 1 1/2 cups rye & 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour)
1 1/2 tbsp. brewer's yeast (optional)
1/4 tsp. salt
Mix liquids together. In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients. Combine the mixtu
res, stirring to moisten throughout. Form a ball. On a floured surface, flatten
the dough, and roll out thinly. Cut into squares and prick each cracker with the
tines of a fork a couple of times. Transfer to lightly greased baking sheets. B
ake at 425 F for around 8 minutes, checking to be sure not to over-brown. It is b
est served warm.
Simple Recipes
Flour, water, and a little salt. Mix them together to form an elastic but not st
icky dough, Roll to a one-inch thickness, bake in a 400 F oven until slightly bro
wn. Allow to cool. It may yet be soft. Put it in 200 F oven until it is hard. Pri
ck with nail or sharp instrument. No baking powder, soda, sugar, cinnamon, raisi
ns, or anything else.
Just mix about 2 cups of flour and a half-tablespoon of salt with enough water t
o make a stiff dough. Roll it out thin on a cookie sheet. Score it into squares
of about 2 x2 and poke some holes in it (not all the way through). Bake it at 400 F
for about 45 minutes or until it is lightly browned. Let it cool in the oven.
Preheat oven to 400 F. For each cup of flour (unbleached wheat), add1 tsp. of sal
t. Mix salt and flour with just enough water to bind ingredients. Roll the dough
about 1/4 inch thick, and cut into squares 3 inches by 3 inches. Pierce each sq
uare with 16 holes about inch apart. Place hardtack squares on cookie sheet and
bake in oven until the edges are brown or the dough is hard (20-25 minutes), mak

ing sure all moisture is removed from mixture before taking out of oven. Note: T
he longer you bake the hardtack, the more authentic it will appear. If you want
to make it softer for eating, bake only about fifteen minutes.
Mix: two cups of all-purpose flour and a half teaspoon of salt. Use more salt fo
r authenticity. Mix by hand. Add a teaspoon of shortening and a half cup of wate
r, stirred in a little at a time to form a very stiff dough. Beat the dough to a
half inch thickness with a clean top mallet or rifle butt. Fold the sheet of do
ugh into six layers. Continue to beat and to fold the dough a half dozen times u
ntil it is elastic. Roll the dough out to a half-inch thickness before cutting i
t with a floured biscuit cutteror bayonet. Bake for about a half hour in a 325 F
oven.
The basic ingredients are flour, salt and water. General directions are also sim
ilar: Dissolve the salt in water and work it into flour using your hands. The do
ugh should be firm and pliable but not sticky or dry. Flatten the dough onto a c
ookie sheet to about 1/4 inch thick, and cut into squares 3 inches by 3 inches.
Pierce each square with 16 holes about inch apart. Bake in oven until edges are
brown or dough is hard.
Preheat the oven to 400 F For each cup of flour add 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix salt
and flour with just enough water to bind. Bake 20-25 minutes. The longer you bak
e the hardtack, the more authentic it will appear.
Use one part water to six parts flour. Mix in salt. Roll the dough flat and scor
e into cracker shapes. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 400 F and let it cool until comp
letely dry before storing in canisters. The crackers should be hard as bricks an
d indestructibly unappetizing.
A cup of water
2 cups of flour
6 pinches of salt
Mix flour, water, and salt into a stiff dough, kneading it several times. Spread
dough inch thick onto baking sheet and slice into 3 1/2 by 3 1/2 inch squares.
Poke holes in dough, four lines of four holes across and four down. Bake for hou
r at 400. F. Remove from the oven, cut the dough into 3 inch squares. Turn dough
over, return it to the oven, and bake for another hour. Turn the oven off, leavi
ng the oven door closed. Leave the hardtack in the oven until it is cool.
Less Traditional Recipes
2 c
1/2
1/2
1/2

Flower
tb Salt (optional)
tb Sugar (optional)
c Water

Mix together in an electric blender at medium speed until it has the consistency
of playdough. Roll it out with a rolling pin to about 1/3" or so, the thinner t
he crisper, then cut it into 3 x 3 inch squares. I use the barrel of a ball poin
t pen to punch 16 holes (4 x 4) in each square. Bake at 375 F on the first side f
or 20-25 minutes or until it turns a light brown color, then turn them over and
bake for another 15-20 minutes.
Small Batch, Just for a taste.
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2- 3/4 cup water
Mix to a stiff dry dough. It should not stick to your hands. Add water slowly. A

dd more flour if needed. Cut to 3x3 inch squares 1/4" to 1/2" thick. Now put 16
little holes in each one, using a 10 d nail or some other such thing. Toothpick
are too small. Bake in an ungreased cookie pan, preheated to 400 F for about 20 t
o 30 minutes on each side, or until dry. Check it every now and then.
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons buttermilk
1 cup flour
4 teaspoons real maple syrup
3/8 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 tablespoons shortening
Preheat oven to 425 F. Mix the soda and buttermilk, then set aside. Combine flour
, syrup, and salt. Cut in the shortening. Add the buttermilk mixture. Roll out v
ery thin and score rectangles in the dough without cutting all the way through.
Prick each rectangle several times with a fork. Bake on an ungreased cookie shee
t for 5-10 minutes or until golden brown.
2 cups of flour
3/4 to 1 cup water
1 tbl spoon of Crisco
6 pinches of salt
Mix the ingredients together to form a stiff batter, kneading several times. Spr
ead the dough onto a baking sheet at a thickness of 1/2 inch. Bake for a half ho
ur at 400 F. Remove from oven, cut dough into 3-inch squares, and punch four rows
of holes, four holes per row into the dough. Turn dough over, return to the ove
n and bake another half hour. Turn oven off, leaving door closed. Leave the hard
tack in the oven until cool.
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2` cup cracked wheat
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Combine the flours, cornmeal, wheat, sugar and salt. Add buttermilk, mix well, a
nd knead briefly. Shape dough into golf-ball-sized portions. Dust with flour and
roll very thin. Place on greased and floured baking sheet. Bake at 400 F turning
several times, until lightly browned on both sides. Cool; then store in waterpr
oof container.
2
1
1
2
4
1
1
1

Level teaspoons baking powder

pinch of salt
1/2 cup flour
cups sugar
eggs, well beaten
jelly glass of orange marmalade
lb Finely chopped walnuts
lb Finely chopped dates

Sift ingredients together. Add the remainder of ingredients; mix well. Bake abou
t an inch thick on a cookie sheet in an oven at 375 F for about 45 minutes. Cut i
nto squares while warm.
2 cups of flour
1 cup water
1 tablespoon of Crisco or vegetable fat.

6 pinches of salt
Bake for 30 minutes at 400 F. Remove the dough from the oven, and cut it into 3-i
nch squares. Punch four rows of holes into the dough. Turn the dough over, retur
n it to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes.
A Sailor's Diet
2
3
1
1

1/2 cups old-fashioned or quick oats.

cups unbleached flour.
1/2 teaspoons salt.
teaspoon baking soda.

In a separate container, mix:

1 1/2 cups buttermilk.
3 tablespoons honey.
1/2 cup melted bacon drippings or shortening.
Combine the two sets of ingredients. When the dough is thoroughly mixed, roll it
out on a floured board to a thickness of about a quarter inch. Cut out circles
of dough with a large drinking glass dipped in flour and put them on a lightly g
reased cookie sheet. Bake for about 5 1/2 minutes at 450 F. Let the hardtack cool
on a wire rack before serving with jam or jelly.