Hardtack (clack clack)

Hardtack (clack clack) with Grog

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City/Region: England

Time Period: 1815

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From the Civil War to pirates to explorers, hardtack (clack clack), which is essentially just overly dry dense bread, was essential for survival. Ships’ cooks in the English navy used ground up hardtack in dishes like Skillygalee, in which it was mixed with pork fat and water, Lobscouse, in which it thickened a meat stew, and Dandyfunk, in which it was mixed with fat and molasses. Civil War soldiers made a version of skillygalee, but called it Hell Fire Stew.

Largely flavorless and very dry, hardtack is best eaten broken up and mixed into stews like Lobscouse or Hell Fire Stew, or at least soaked in water, wine, coffee, or Grog.

“Sea Biscuit is a sort of bread much dried, to make it keep for the use of the navy, and is good for a whole year after it is baked. The process of biscuit-baking for the navy is simple and ingenious, and is nearly as follows. A large lump of dough, consisting merely of flower and water, is mixed up together, and placed exactly in the centre of a raised platform, where a man sits upon a machine, called a horse, and literally rides up and down…till the dough is sufficiently kneaded…one man…moulds the dough, till it has the appearance of muffins. [Another] stamps them on both sides with a mark. The business is to deposit in the oven seventy biscuits in a minute…The biscuits thus baked are kept in repositories, which receive warmth from being placed in drying lofts over the ovens, till they are sufficiently dry to be packed into bags, without danger of getting mouldy.”

— A New Universal Dictionary of Marine, 1815

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Ingredients:

• 4 cups (450 g) stone ground whole wheat flour
• 1 cup (235 ml) water

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
2. In a large bowl, add 1/2 cup of the water to flour and mix well. Add more water slowly, mixing as you go. You want to add only just enough water for the dough to come together, the drier the better. You may not need all of the water.
3. When the dough comes together, turn it out and knead it for at least 15 minutes. You can’t really over-knead this dough.
4. Shape the dough into whatever shapes you like, I did circles. Whatever shape you choose, make sure they’re not more than 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thick, or they won’t dry properly. Dock the dough by using a skewer or fork to prick holes all over the surface to help prevent it from puffing up.
5. Transfer the dough onto a lined baking sheet and bake for 3 to 4 hours, or until they’re dry enough to easily come off of the baking sheet. Reduce the oven temperature to 200°F (95°C) and continue to bake them for about 3 more hours.
6. Let the hardtack (clack clack) cool, then serve them forth (but really you should use them in Lobscouse or Hell Fire Stew).

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