After many requests, we offer this recipe for Civil War hard tack, those flour-and-water biscuits that have been around for centuries.
It dates to 1861, a real and tasty snack courtesy of and with acknowledgement to AmericanTable.org:
Serves: 10
Ingredients
· 2 cups flour
· ½ tablespoon salt (optional)
· ½ to ¾ cup water
Directions
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Combine flour with salt in a mixing bowl. Add water and mix with hands until the dough comes together.
Roll out on a table to about 1/3 inch thickness. Use a knife to cut 3-by-3-inch squares from the dough. Place on baking sheet, and use a dowel to make 16 evenly-spaced holes in each square.
Bake for at least four hours, turning over once half-way through baking. Cool on a rack in a dry room.
If the hardtack biscuits are kept in sealed containers, away from moisture and insects, we’re told they’ll keep for quite some time.