Introduction of the baking of processed cereals, including the creation of flour, provided a more reliable source of food. Egyptian sailors carried a flat brittle loaf of millet bread called dhourra cake, while the Romans had a biscuit called bucellatum. King Richard 1 of England left for the Third Crusade (1189–1192) with “biskit of muslin”, which was a mixed grain compound of barley, bean flour, and rye.The more refined captain’s biscuit was made with finer flour. Some early physicians associated most medical problems with digestion. For sustenance and health, eating a biscuit daily was considered good for one’s constitution.

As the biscuits would soften and become more palatable with time due to exposure to humidity and other weather elements, the bakers of the time made biscuits as hard as possible. Because it was baked hard, it would stay intact for years if kept dry. For long voyages, hardtack was baked four times, rather than the more common two, and prepared six months before sailing. Because it is dry and hard, hardtack (when properly stored and transported) will survive rough handling and temperature extremes. Here Virgilio Marin, NaturalNews.com, reflects on how to make hardtack:

“Hardtack is a hard biscuit made of flour, water and salt. It is a long-lasting food that’s perfect for long-term emergencies. In fact, the oldest surviving hardtack was baked in 1851 and remains edible to this day. A Civil War staple, hardtack is a survival food that deserves a spot in any prepper’s food stockpile.

Hardtack recipe

There are several recipes for making hardtack, but when it comes to the basics, all you need are the following:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup water
• Oven
• Oven tray
• Fork
• Rolling pin
• Baking pan
• A small stick such as a bamboo skewer or match

Follow the steps below to make hardtack:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
2. Dissolve 2 teaspoons of salt into 1/2 cup of water.
3. In a bowl, mix the saline water and flour using a fork and then with your hands. Add a tiny bit of water if needed. Be sure not to add too much water so that the dough has barely enough moisture to hold itself together. Add more flour if the dough sticks too much to your hands.
4. Fold and knead the dough until it has the consistency of modeling clay. The dough should be a little on the dry side.
5. Spread the dough out on a floured surface using a rolling pin until it is just a little less than 1/2 inch thick.
6. Cut squares roughly 3 inches wide and 3 inches long. Arrange these squares on an ungreased baking pan.”

Read More … Article Source: https://www.naturalnews.com/2021-11-25-how-to-make-hardtack-survival-food.html

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