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How To...
Making Hardtack
For every cup of flour add 1/2 - 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp baking powder. Add just enough water to get the contents to stick together and roll without cracking or crumbling. Roll to 1/2" thick and cut into 3" × 3" squares. Using a nail or other suitable device poke holes in each biscuit in a 3 X 3 pattern. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees until slightly brown (10 - 20 min depending on your oven). Allow to cool for a bit. Then place in oven set to 200 degree F and allow to dry for 2-4 hours or until hard. Cool and package.
These biscuits will keep forever. I have talked to a man who served in the British Navy in WW II and he said they were fed 7 year-old hardtack as part of their rations. Vacuum packing would keep the biscuits fresh for a very long time but is not necessary. I usually pack them in plastic bags.
A couple of quick notes:
If there is not enough water the biscuits will be crumbly after baking. Too much water and they won't dry as easily. I guess I would tend to add a little more water to keep things together but they won't dry as quickly. Like piecrusts there is a fine line between too much and too little water.
If 400 degrees is baking the biscuits too fast, you can turn the oven down to 350 degrees. They key is to bake until they just turn a light brown. If needed, turn the biscuit over if the other side has not browned.
I have used a full tsp of salt and I thought it was a little salty. You may want to add less salt but not less than 1/2 tsp.
How to use hardtack
Eat it as is -
Depending on how hard or old the biscuits are, this could be a risky thing. Old Timer stories about this stuff are not totally exaggerated. I have eaten biscuits as is but it is best to be careful. I have some older biscuits that I used to pound a nail into a piece of soft wood. Make your own judgment.
Soak and eat -
If you soak the biscuit for a little bit it will soften it enough to eat without becoming mushy. I use them as crackers for lunches because I found regular crackers tend to end up as crumbs. I soak them in whatever I am drinking (Gatorade, water, coffee, hot cocoa).
Skillygalee -
This was a recipe used in the field during the Civil War. Soak a few pieces of hardtack in hot water until very soft. In the mean time, fry some bacon or salt pork. When done remove the "meat" and set aside. Place the soaked pieces of hardtack into the pan and fry till golden. Be careful as the grease will splutter. Turn over. Place brown sugar on top. Fry till the bottom is golden. Remove from pan, top with bacon or salt pork and enjoy.
Definitely not a heart-healthy meal. The meal is actually very tasty. If you soak it well enough it has the consistency of firm bread pudding. I can see other possibilities here. Instead of bacon grease you could use butter or a more heart healthy oil. These can be eaten as pancakes with syrup on top. Also, they would be good with a little gravy as a side dish for supper.
Cush -
Another Civil War recipe. Take some hardtack and crumble it up. Fry it up in bacon grease. Eat.
I have actually crumbled it up, soaked it and then fried it. It was very much like bland stuffing. Next time I would spice it up a bit with sage, thyme, or whatever herbs are handy.
I suppose one could also boil it in some chicken broth and make a stuffing-like dish or dumpling soup depending on how much liquid is used. I wonder if you could also use it to thicken soups. I haven't tried these ideas yet so you are on your own.
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