This hardtack recipe is very easy to make. As you probably know, hardtack is a survival bread & historic settler food with an extremely long shelf life. If properly stored, hardtack can last for years. Hardtack has been used for centuries and was a historic mainstay for pioneers, settlers, sailors & soldiers when traveling on long journeys.

Hardtack is a very simple recipe and only requires flour, water and salt. It is also a cheap way to create long-term survival or camping supplies. It costs only pennies to make hardtack versus paying a fortune for MREs, freeze dried camping food, etc. Making hardtack is also a fun way to show your kids what pioneers & ancient soldiers/sailors had to eat as they traveled across the country or globe.

Remember To Soak Hardtack Before Eating!!!

However, please remember that hardtack is NOT a soft cracker, tender biscuit or fluffy sandwich bread. It is hard semi-bland survival food that was historically used for long hard journeys (not gourmet meals!). When eating hardtack, it should be soaked first in water, milk, soup, stew, etc. for at least 5-10 minutes in order to soften the hardtack before eating… because “hard”tack is kind of HARD. Historically, according to Wikipedia, “To soften, hardtack was often dunked in brine, coffee, or some other liquid, or cooked into a skillet meal”.

Cut Dough Into Squares

Ingredients – Hardtack Recipe (Survival Bread)

• 2 Cups – All Purpose Flour – 240 grams – Do not use self-rising flour
• 3/4 Cup – Water – 175 milliliters
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons – Salt – 9 grams – Optional but salt acts as a natural preservative. See the tips section below.

Servings – 10-12 biscuits/crackers. For 20-25 hardtack biscuits/crackers, you just need to double each ingredient in this hardtack recipe.

Equipment Needed – Measuring cup & spoons, mixing bowl, rolling pin, cutting board, silicone spatula, baking sheets, oven mitts, cooling rack and an oven. Plus airtight food containers.

Use Chopsticks To Poke Holes In Dough (Picture Before Baking)

Instructions – Hardtack Recipe (Survival Bread)

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Mix the flour, water and salt in a bowl.
• After mixing completely, the dough should be a little dry (and not stick to your fingers).
• If your mix is still too sticky, you can add more flour in small increments until the dough is dry enough.
• Use a roller to spread out the dough on a counter, large cutting board, etc. until it reaches a thickness of roughly 1/3 to 1/2 inches.
• To prevent sticking to the counter or cutting board, you should spread a little flour on the surface before rolling the dough. Also spread a little flour on top of the dough to prevent the roller from sticking to the dough.
• Cut the dough into squares (i.e. 3 inch squares). You can create square hardtack “biscuits” by cutting the dough horizontally & vertically on a large cutting board.
• Poke narrow holes in the hardtack biscuits with a chopstick or fork. The holes should go all the way through to the other side of the hardtack. This prevents the hardtack from puffing up.
• Place the hardtack biscuits on a baking sheet/tray.
• Put the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 30 minutes at 375 F. Wear oven mitts.
• Flip the hardtack over with a spatula and bake for another 30 minutes. Wear oven mitts.
• Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Wear oven mitts. Then use a spatula to remove the hardtack from the baking sheet. Place the hardtack biscuits on a cooling rack in order to cool down.
• When completely cooled, place the hardtack in an airtight container.
• Please read the tips section below for extra information on how to make this recipe successfully.