hardtack flour

[dehight]

Before anyone says it: I HAVE USED THE SEARCH FUNCTION...that being said, I have seen a lot of recipes for hardtack but I'm wandering what type of flour you guys used. Having made it many times yourselves, I was hoping someone could just tell me what kind of flour is used because most of the recipes I find just say "flour" with no description.

Thanks all

[DamYankee25]

All purpose white flour has always worked well for me, put some ground pepper (not table style but fresh ground) and it gives it that factory scrapings and dirt look.

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

Definitely all purpose works, just avoid any self-rising product. You'll get some very funky looking hardtack.

[dehight]

the first batch I made used AP flour but it didn't come out looking or tasting at all like I had had before

[Ephraim_Zook]

The closest you can come to hardtack flour today is to blend pastry flour and regular unbleached flour in the ratio of 1 part pastry flour to 3 parts unbleached flour. Adding a bit of cream of tartar as a non-period ingredient should make it just a bit flakier.

Good luck!

[Pvt Schnapps]

I wonder if "all purpose" is consistently made from the same stuff like a single-malt, or is "blended." The reason I say that is that I've gotten mixed results and apparently this happened at the time as well.

From "The Army Ration" by E. N. Horsford, page 9:

http://books.google.com/books?id=il1RBHv577YC&printsec=frontcover&dq=the+army+ration

"When made from some kinds of flour, in which the starch or gluten, or both, assume a gelatinous character, and show, when baked and kiln-dried, a glassy fracture, it is quite impenetrable to the fluids of the mouth and stomach and exceedingly difficult to masticate. Soldiers whose back teeth are defective have difficulty in reducing the hard bread to proper condition for digestion; and to the soldier benumbed by cold or fatigue, imperfect nutrition is not unfrequently followed by protracted and dangerous diarrhoea."

This tells us that sometimes even hard tack made according to specs and not dried improperly or abused in handling still proved hard to chew. Something else I'd like to do someday is experiment with different products out there.

Interestingly, Horsford also recommends replacing the hardtack ration with "self-raising" flour to be baked in the fire in an oven made from something like canteen halves. Makes you wonder where he got the idea.

[Marc]

I have always used unbleached flour 100%

[plankmaker]

Most importantly, make sure what you are using is actually flour.

Mark Campbell
Piney Flats, TN

December 14th, 1862
In Fredericksburg, Va.
...Today there was a very amusing thing that took place with Dye Davis and John Howells and Bill Hill, who was killed with the falling of the Chimney the day of the 12th. When we crossed into the town of Fredericksburg, the men captured many things and these three, Davis, Howells, and Hill got into a house and a carpenter's store room and Dye Davis said, 'We be got him now, lads. Fill your haversacks.' And the haversacks was filled. Dye Davis said, 'Now, lads, lets go down to the fire and we will have some johnny cakes.' And when they reached the fire, Dye said, 'John Howells, do we get some wood and make a fire?', and 'Bill Hill, do we get some water and I will make some johnny cake' and the work went on and Dye made a cake on the old plate and he turned it up to see if it was done, but it was not browned yet and Jack said, 'turn 'em over any'ow.' Dye turned it over and said, 'Jack he is hard any'ow,' and they got the other side hard and Dye wanted to get it browned but Bill Hill got impatient and said, '****, 'em, Dye, less have him!' The cake was handed to Bill and the cook put another on the pan and while Dye was working at the second one, Bill Hill could not get his knife to split the first one and Jack Howells says, 'Bill, get a stone and break'em.' They got a stone and broke it and tried to bit it, but it was no go and Jack examined it carefully and exclaimed, '**** 'em, Dye, 'e is plaster of Paris, and the cook stopped instantly and he examined and exclaimed, 'Well, Jack, I did think he was **** heavy flour in my haversack.' And sure enough, it was white plaster of Paris.

[GaWildcat]

OUCH!! that would suuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!

[PetePaolillo]

I use a mixture of 5 part unbleached, and 1 part whole wheat flour and I have gotten very good reviews.:p

[dehight]

thanks for all the help guys...does that one part of wheat flour make that big of a difference...it would be cheaper to only buy one kind of flour...easier to store too

[PetePaolillo]

thanks for all the help guys...does that one part of wheat flour make that big of a difference...it would be cheaper to only buy one kind of flour...easier to store too

In the words of the wise Curt Schmidt---"Others' mileage will vary..."

[Chip]

This will probably answer your questions:

http://www.cwreenactors.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7613

[bob 125th nysvi]

King Arthur brand flour in the RED bag. Unbleached and not self rising. Works fine for me.

[mtodriscoll]

I've tried a couple different batches, changing only the type of flour between the two.

The first batch was a mix of AP Flour and Whole Wheat flour (3:1 ratio). This batch had good flavor and was tan in color (due to the whole wheat). Rock hard - as expected.

The second batch was made with Cake Flour (comes in a box). This flour is very fine and has less protein/gluton. The hard tack made with this flour was pristine white and had fine cracks in the horizontal plane. They were still hard as a rock, and had good flavor. I liked the appearance of the hard tack made with the Cake Flour.

In both cases, the hardtack was dangerously hard. I may have worked it too much before baking. (it didn't keep them from being eaten up though)

I may try working the dough a little less next time to see if that changes rigidity.

[Pvt Schnapps]

I've tried a couple different batches, changing only the type of flour between the two.

The first batch was a mix of AP Flour and Whole Wheat flour (3:1 ratio). This batch had good flavor and was tan in color (due to the whole wheat). Rock hard - as expected.

The second batch was made with Cake Flour (comes in a box). This flour is very fine and has less protein/gluton. The hard tack made with this flour was pristine white and had fine cracks in the horizontal plane. They were still hard as a rock, and had good flavor. I liked the appearance of the hard tack made with the Cake Flour.

In both cases, the hardtack was dangerously hard. I may have worked it too much before baking. (it didn't keep them from being eaten up though)

I may try working the dough a little less next time to see if that changes rigidity.

I found I obtained more acceptable results (e.g., it would break before my teeth did) if I mixed it with a food processor (Kitchen Aid) and rolled it about a quarter inch thick. Lest anyone comment on the anachronism of using a power device, I believe the QM description of its manufacture states that it requires steam power -- hand mixing alone won't do. Made with salted water, the hard tack will rise to about a half inch in thickness.

Just some thoughts.