Ship-Biscuits (Hardtack) By: Lorenz Gabriel E. Patrona

A Recipe and History of Hardtack

The term for Biscuits comes from the French word "twice-cooked" as they would let it cool and put it back in the oven two, three to even four times. Originally used by sailors plying their trade or pludenring unfortunate merchantmen in the high seas and popularized by British sailors during the Age of Sail, this provisions would keep you full and help you survive but nothing more than that, this would lead to it's reputation as a survival food that those that ate it find it akin to eating rocks, some who had suffered from these biscuits would even ground them up to make new breads to not suffer the indignity of eating them or some that added them up to soups or porridges to thicken them up, everything just to make it edible and easier to eat Ship-Biscuits or Hardtack as the Army of several nations such as the British and Americans as they called it compared to their Naval counterparts.

Hardtack but earlier known as Ship-Biscuits were one of the earliest foods to be called a survival food as they are meant to keep people fed enough to live and have enough strength, Survival food ensures their lasting shelf life by canning, salting or sun-drying them like Beef Jerkys but during the Age of Sail one of the most prolific and important preservation technique was removing moisture to ensure no mold take hold and make the preserved food rancid. One of the many products of this process is Ship-Biscuits, these biscuits but sailors would swore and declare that they are more rocks than a type of bread are essential to keeping sailors that were traveling at see for many months to even years fed while not becoming spoiled, this important factor made sure that these biscuits would be common place as either part of a main diet of military personnels and emergency rations during the 1700s with American Civil War Ship-biscuits or Hardtack as these version of them would be square in shape compared to their circular counterparts at sea for easier carrying and storage for the humble infantryman ensuring that these rations will be plentiful and keep them fed during marches or campaigns during the Civil War.

What you need to make Hardtack (Ship-Biscuits)*

• 4 Cups (450g) Flour (Preferably Stone-Ground Whole Wheat Flour for their Coarse texture but any kind of flour will do)

• 1 Cup (235ml) or less of Water

*Either makes 4 large biscuits or 8 smaller ones based on your preferences.

Baking the Biscuits:

Take the flour and start adding in the water, start with about half of a cup and begin mixing it in. The drier it is the better and once it becomes whole start kneading the dough around 15 minutes or so with your hands, there's no fear of over-kneading as it helps to not crack in the oven. Next, you may mold them to your liking but Ship-Biscuits are usually English style muffins which are rounded in shape with flat bottoms and flat tops and make sure that they are not thicker than half an inch as this would lead to them not drying properly, you may also poke holes in the dough for it to not puff in the oven while baking, this technique is called docking. Finally bake them at 300F or 150C for three to four hours or until they are dry enough to easily come off the baking sheet, if you want to fully experience the eating of authentic Hardtack/Ship-biscuits you may also return them in the oven at 200F or 95C for a few more hours. (I would only recommend this process if you want the biscuits to last for years or even decades if stored properly!)

Other uses for Hardtack (Ship-Biscuits):

Ground them up until they are turned back into flour or chunky pieces, then add them up to your prefered soups as a thickener.