Broiled Yarmouth bloater
A Victorian way with Great Yarmouth bloaters: the lightly salted, cold-smoked whole herring is broiled and served with fresh butter and a warmed captain's biscuit.
Hardtack
pilot bread · ship’s biscuit
A flour-and-water biscuit baked hard for transport; this home version follows the measured National Park Service Manassas interpretation.
History
Manassas National Battlefield Park presents hardtack as a staple in Civil War soldiers' diets and explains ways soldiers softened or reused it. Its measured recipe is an at-home activity, so it is kept distinct from historical ration variability.
Ingredients
Scaling: source batch only
946 mL4 cup as recorded
9.9 mL2 tsp as recorded
237 mL1 cup as recorded
Add up to 1/2 cup more as needed to make a stiff dough that is neither dry nor sticky.Method
Risks and precautions · Standard risk
Pathogens in raw flour
Raw flour can carry harmful bacteria; the dough must be fully baked and should not be tasted raw.
Hazard sourceMoisture and mold during storage
The NPS historical account says issued hardtack could become wet and moldy; it provides no validated home shelf-life limit.
Hazard sourceBake according to the full two-stage recipe and do not eat raw dough.
Control sourceCool fully before packing; do not use pieces that become damp or moldy. No home shelf-life is established here.
Control sourceThe Civil War account of hardtack lasting in military stores is historical context, not a validated shelf-life for home baking.
Do not taste the raw flour dough. Use clean hands and tools, and clean surfaces after handling flour.
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet.
- Mix the flour, salt and 1 cup water. Add more water a little at a time, up to 1/2 cup, until a stiff, elastic dough forms without becoming dry or sticky. Do not taste raw dough.
- Press or roll the dough about 1/2 inch thick on the prepared sheet. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Let the slab cool for 5 minutes. Cut it into 3-inch squares with a sturdy knife or pizza cutter. Dock each square in a grid with a clean skewer or toothpick, then turn the pieces over.
- Bake for about 30 minutes more, until lightly browned. Turn the oven off and leave the hardtack inside as the oven cools. Handle the hot tray and pieces carefully.
- Cool completely before packing. The source gives no validated home storage time; discard any pieces that become damp or show mold.
Places
United States
Historical attestation · Country evidenceNPS documents hardtack in Civil War soldiers’ diets; this is a historical association, not a claim that the wider food originated in the United States.
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Sources
National Park Service, Manassas National Battlefield ParkInspiration · Method · History · Safety
Hardtack during the Civil WarThe home activity lists 4 cups flour, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 cup water, with up to another 1/2 cup as needed.
It specifies a 350°F oven, about 1/2-inch dough, 30 minutes baking, cooling briefly, cutting and docking, another 30 minutes baking, and cooling in the switched-off oven.
The page describes Civil War soldiers' use of hardtack and reports that issued hardtack could become wet and moldy; it does not validate a home shelf life.
U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationSafety
Handling Flour Safely: What You Need to KnowFlour is a raw food that may carry harmful bacteria; cooking is needed, and raw flour or dough should not be tasted.
Clean hands, tools and surfaces after contact with raw flour or dough.