Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

hardtack

(2 ratings)
Recipe by
Carol L.
Viroqua, WI

I found the recipes for hardtack on Mother Earth. The recipe makes a huge amount; but the bread will last forever if kept dry. It has a great flavor and can be eaten alone as a snack; or makes a great base for any kind of sandwish, which is how I used it when I was dieting and tryin to get my sugar under control. It is stable enough to hold gobs of egg salad, etc. It is great for taking camping also. This recipe is time consuming, so be sure to start it when you will have enough time to finish. If you have a buddy who has an interest in baking, this is a project that two people might enjoy together. I put my hardtack into many food saver bags and sucked out most of the air. It was still good after several months.

(2 ratings)
yield serving(s)
method Griddle

Ingredients For hardtack

  • #1
  • 3 c
    flour of your choice
  • 1 1/2 c
    wheat flour ( i actually used all wheat flour)
  • 1 c
    sour cream
  • 1 c
    buttermilk
  • 1 (slight) c
    sugar
  • 1 tsp
    baking soda
  • dash dash
    of salt (you decide)
  • #2
  • 7 c
    unbleached white & or wheat flour
  • 3 c
    rye flour
  • 1 qt
    buttermilk or
  • 1 pt
    buttermilk plus
  • 1 pt
    cream
  • 1/2 c
    shortening (omit if cream is used)
  • 1 c
    sugar
  • 1/4 tsp
    salt
  • 1 tsp
    baking soda
  • #3
  • 3 c
    unbleached white flour
  • 1 1/2 c
    graham flour
  • 1/2 c
    cornmeal
  • 1/2 c
    shortening
  • 1 1/2 c
    milk
  • 1 tsp
    sugar
  • 1 Tbsp
    salt
  • #4
  • 2 c
    wheat flour
  • 2 c
    unbleached white flour
  • 1/3 c
    shortening
  • 1 c
    yougurt (thinned w/water to the consistency of cream)
  • 1/2 c
    dark corn syrup
  • 1 tsp
    salt
  • 1 tsp
    baking soda

How To Make hardtack

  • 1
    In a very Large bowl, combine all of your wet ingredients. On a piece of waxed paper or a small bowl, combine 2 cups of the flour and the salt and baking powder. Sift together and add this to the wet mixture. Stir well. At this point, I suggest adding any shortening and cornmeal into the mixture. When these items are well mixed, start adding the rest of the flours. Mix in as much as you can stir in; then put some of the flour on a board or counter and knead in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
  • 2
    Grease several cookie sheets lightly. Set the oven at 400 degrees. Take an egg sized piece of the dough and set in center of the sheet. If you have a flour sock, they are helpful. With a rolling pin, roll out as THIN AS POSSIBLE. The thinner you get it, the better your product will be. Roll all the way to the edges of the pan, and cut off any dough that goes beyond. Toss it back into the bowl. Bake until the border starts browning, then, flip the bread over and bake until it is board stiff. Lift off the sheet and cool on a cooling rack. When completely cool, break into whatever sized pieces you desire. Then put into an airtight container. Hardtack is not the fastest thing you can make, but the work is worth it.
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