Making Hardtack - for The Henry Ford's virtual Civil War Remembrance 2020
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- Join us as Will walks you through an easy, low tech way to make your own version of hardtack, that staple of the Union soldier's diet!
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Ingredients -
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pasty flour
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
cornmeal
Tools -
mixing bowls
fork
rolling pin
knife
ruler
chopstick - or other for poking holes
spatula
cookie sheet
oven safe water holding container
Thank you for this episode, I need to give this recipe/method a try this week so I may campaign properly in the weeks to come. Much appreciated, CWDD.
I'm glad the digest is still going through the lockdown
We are still working hard to bring you good stories!
One of the best demos on making hard tack I've seen. Thanks soljerboy.
"and it is something to eat" Well said!
Back in culinary school my pastry chef had a full discussion on a well heated oven.
We had a big powerful convection oven. But when working with small ovens he said to start at at least 25° higher for anything that won't rise. Such as fast breads ( cakes) flat bread, nhan and dampers.
He said the reason is that most ovens have hot and cooler spots especially when loading up all the way.
Even temperature control means open and closing fast and keeping even thickness.
It wasn't until my current job at an Italian restaurant I realized how true it is.
Caramelizing pancetta for the vodka sauce actually took some practice. This oven isn't great so we have to rotate the sheets around. It burns if you don't.
Point is, heat rises and cold sinks.
I'm going to try making hard tack soon. I appreciate your time.
Excellent video. Thank you, Will.
Great job, Will! This is a great project during the Lockdown.
I've used this recipe with a couple of my own addjustments, and it was great! thanks a ton!
What are your adjustments
@@davidmaxey656 I used the word adjustment pretty liberally there. "Mistakes" would have been more accurate, I forgot to put water in the oven before baking.
Like how the hardtack is just the right size for the mug.
Best video I’ve seen on hardtack!
I look forward to rustling up a batch of these sheet iron crackers!
Hope it adds to your presentations!
This is awesome!
Haha perfect ending line
I picked up one of Axel Ulrich's cutters to make cutting mine out easier.
He makes a good one!
Say, Will, I'm curious about one of the ingredients in your recipe. I was doing some research recently, and it sounds like the most common type of flour available during the war was the stone ground soft winter wheat flour similar to the pastry flour you use in this video. Presumably, the bakeries at the time would have just used that flour to make their hardtack - is there a particular reason that you've chosen to use a mix of that flour and the AP flour?
This recipe is the best and easiest to do and it actually makes my hardtack edible, (not sure if it’s supposed to be edible🤣), perfect for munching on during the-enactments and displays.
Now I know what mistakes I made my first time trying Alec from Scotland
Good luck!
@@CivilWarDigitalDigest I microwave one for a trial yesterday it wasn't a good shape I stuck a bit in soup for a few hours it was a lot better than I thought infact it was pretty good I'll be making more using your methods I'm pleased with myself
Civil War hardtack was known to stop bullets thats how rough and tough it was 🤣
If I may ask is there supost to be some cornmeal sticking to the bottom?
Is it more common for hardtack in this period to be made from white sifted flour instead of whole wheat flour?
I bought some hard tack, about 16 years ago, from a company that made hard tack during the civil war, but am unable to find any today.
Sadly, there is no commercially available source that we know of anymore.
What was their method for making enough to feed 120,000 soldiers?
Industrial baking companies.
Dude you look like an older Stevemre1989!!
I tried the recipe from the full length episode, cooked 20 minutes with the steam etc. followed to the letter, they looked great on the outside but a texture that was too soft, like pizza dough. Do they get harder as they dry out? Or do you recommend cooking them longer on a lower temp?
As everyone has a different baking situation, particularly when it comes to what your oven is like, feel free to experiment! I have used both of your solutions in the past. Good luck! Also, the bread will harden up over the first couple of days.
Thanks Will you continue to outdo yourself.
Did all Hardtack have salt included? and if not are there accounts of them putting issue salt on there hardtack?
I can’t answer the first question as there were many contractors making.
I have yet to run into an account of putting salt on hardtack in the field.
Whenever I make hardtack it always seems to still remain soft in the middle makings difficult to break into pieces, anyone know how I can prevent this
There are accounts of soldiers using hard tack to make sandwiches. I suspect it all started somewhat soft. Have you left it out in the air to dry?
I WANT TO EAT THAT IM GONNA MAKE 10000000000000000 OF THOSE!
Uhhh Ok!! Good luck eaten 10 at most! Lol
Why do you use the pastry flour ?
When we look at original pieces, this combination of flour and gives us the best look in comparison to the originals.
Good for coffee?
Yup. Dunk it in til the hardtack softens.
Let UA-camr Steve1989 try some of your hardtack. He has eaten actual hardtack from the Civil War. He can tell you if it tastes authentic 😂
He should for real tho