Newfoundland hard bread, also called hard tack, is a plain, unleavened flour-and-water biscuit traditionally softened for fish and brewis. This measured batch makes 12 docked square cakes; it covers the hard bread only, not the complete salt-cod meal.
Newfoundland hard bread, also called hard tack, is a plain, unleavened flour-and-water biscuit traditionally softened for fish and brewis. This measured batch makes 12 docked square cakes; it covers the hard bread only, not the complete salt-cod meal.
Step 1Heat the oven to 220°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment and set oven racks in the upper and lower thirds.
Step 2Whisk the flour and salt in a large bowl. Mix in 360 ml warm water gradually. Knead in the bowl; add more water 15 ml at a time, only as needed, up to 480 ml, until a stiff, non-sticky dough forms.
Step 3Knead on a clean counter for 8–10 minutes until smooth and firm. Cover and rest for 10 minutes.
Step 4Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape each into a square about 8 cm wide and 2 cm thick. Poke six deep holes in the top of each cake with a fork.
Step 5Arrange on the baking sheets. Bake for 25–30 minutes, turn the cakes over and rotate the trays, then bake another 20–30 minutes until firm and lightly golden. Continue in 5-minute increments if the centres are soft.
Step 6Lower the oven to 120°C and dry the cakes for about 90 minutes, turning once, until very hard and dry through the centre. If one still bends or feels damp after cooling briefly, dry longer.
Step 7Cool completely on a wire rack for about 1 hour before packing. Store airtight and dry. To use for brewis, cover a cake with cold water and soak overnight in the refrigerator; drain and cook it in a separately prepared meal.
Hard bread is made to be soaked and cooked, not eaten like soft sandwich bread. For Newfoundland fish and brewis, soak the cake in cold water overnight in the refrigerator, then drain and bring it close to a boil with the separately prepared salt fish. Homemade hard bread is not the same as commercially preserved hard bread: keep it dry and airtight for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 2 months.
Rounded estimate for 1 of 12 cakes, based on 750 g all-purpose flour and 12 g salt. Approximate batch: 2,730 kcal, 572 g carbohydrate, 77 g protein, 8 g fat, 20 g fibre and 4,700 mg sodium. Flour averages, salt crystal size, water absorption and drying loss vary; this is not a laboratory analysis.
Contains wheat (gluten). Raw flour is not ready to eat: do not taste the dough. Wash hands with soap and clean bowls, utensils and work surfaces after handling it. Bake and dry the cakes fully until hard through the centre; continue in 5-minute increments if needed. Cool completely before packing. Keep airtight in a cool, dry place for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months. Refrigerate the overnight soaking cake at 4°C or colder, then drain and cook it before serving.
No. This makes the hard bread component. Soak and cook it with a separately prepared salt-cod recipe when making fish and brewis.
