While working on my latest novel, I added some dialogue between characters about hardtack. The story takes place in 1881, and it got me to thinking about this simple creation.
Hardtack, also known as pilot bread, sea biscuit, ship
biscuit, or molar breakers, is a dense biscuit made from flour, water, and
sometimes salt. Hardtack was baked and then thoroughly dried to remove
moisture.
Since hardtack is made without fat, yeast, or dairy, it can
last for years, even decades, if kept completely dry. It doesn’t spoil easily,
but it was notorious for becoming infested with weevils when stored in damp
conditions.
Stereograph shows a captain sitting on a 50lb crate of hardtack during the Civil War.
From the Library of Congress.
Hardtack was a staple for the military during the Civil War.
Throughout the 19th century, it also served as a practical food
source for long-distance travelers, cowboys, and line riders.
On the trail, cowboys might smash these sheet-iron crackers with
the butt of a pistol or the heel of his boot before eating them. Some preferred to
drop a square into a tin cup of hot Arbuckles’ coffee and let it soak until
spongy.
When the chuckwagon cook fried up salt pork or bacon,
hardtack could be dropped into the grease. The pieces would absorb the fat, softening
the hardtack and crisping the edges. Another method was to smother the pieces with
flour gravy. Any leftover hardtack could be wrapped in a cloth, crushed with a
stone, and tossed into a pot of wild game or pinto beans to help thicken the mixture.
My conclusion? Hardtack may have kept a cowboy’s stomach from growling, but
I doubt anyone ever asked for a second helping because of its delicious flavor!
The soldier’s rations of hardtack. From
the Library of Congress.
MODERN HARDTACK RECIPE
Ingredients
4 cups all-purpose flour
1½ cups water (approximately)
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
Directions
1.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2.
Place the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Gradually add the water, stirring until a stiff dough forms.
3.
Knead the dough until smooth. It should be firm
and dry, not sticky.
4.
Roll the dough out to about ½ inch thick or
thinner if desired.
5.
Cut into squares approximately 3 inches across.
6.
Use a fork or wooden skewer to prick several
holes through each square. These holes help the biscuits bake evenly.
7.
Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for
30 minutes.
8.
Turn the biscuits over and bake for another 30
minutes.
9.
For traditional, long-lasting hardtack, reduce
the oven temperature to 200°F and continue drying for another 1–2 hours, until the
biscuits are thoroughly hardened.
10. Make
sure the biscuits are completely cool and dry before putting them in an airtight
container.
Sources:
Chisholm Trail Museum – Hardtack: A Cowboy's Snack
Texas Historical Commission – Hardtack, the Original MRE
The Takeout – The Rock-Hard Food Cowboys Smashed Apart With Guns Before Eating (Yum)
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