How to Make Damper: A Great Australian Recipe

Try some Damper. It's so quick and very cheap. Just make a huge pot of fresh vegetable soup using your own garden produce, and serve it with a large crusty piece of damper on the side. Damper is a staple of all campers in the great outdoors of Australia, and it's just as good cooked in a wood oven. Damper is a crusty type of bread made with very few ingredients. There is no chance this recipe can be ruined. I have adapted the following for cooking in a regular gas or electric oven, although there are endless variations. Experience the taste of the Aussie outdoors, try some today!

Ingredients:

4 cups of self raising flour

3/4 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

1 tbs butter

1 ½ cups of milk (you can also use powdered milk or just water if necessary)

Method:.

-Pre heat your oven to 400 degrees

-Mix the dry ingredients together well.

-Add the butter and rub into the dry ingredients until you have a crumby consistency

-Make a well in the top of the rough dough ball and slowly add the milk or water

-Flour a board and knead the dough well until it is quite smooth and almost an elastic consistency. Mould into a large ball

-On top of your mound of dough, using a sharp knife, slash an "X"

-Bake for 30 minutes untouched, then reduce heat to 375 degrees and turn the loaf, not over, just around - for better heat distribution. Cook for a further 10 to 15 minutes or until the loaf is a lovely golden brown color.

This bread is delicious served with Golden Syrup, which is similar to Maple Syrup. If you have neither, or you are more health conscious, honey is a great alternative. Speaking of health conscious, you can also substitute the white flour for a healthy wholemeal variety and use a low or no sodium salt and artificial sweetener. The variations are endless so have fun experimenting with your own version.

-Serve with soup or stew, or as a standalone with a hot cup of tea or coffee.

-Got extra kids after school? Serve some damper, it's easy, cheap and the kids can help out. Make extra dough and let them play with some while their damper is baking.

-Having friends over to brunch? Try some damper with strawberry jam and a big dollop of freshly whipped cream.

-Serve some on Super Bowl day with sharp cheese and sausage.

-Make extra damper and allow it to cool. Slice it and store it in an airtight bag in the freezer for later use.

Campfire alternatives:

If you're out camping, try mixing the dough together around a heavy stick and cooking it over the fire. The kids can turn the stick for you every few minutes.

Another campfire alternative is to wrap the damper in heavy foil and place into the hot coals. You can always tell when damper is ready by tapping on it to produce a hollow sound. If you got impatient and ate some only to find the center not quite cooked, just wrap it back up and place back into the coals.

Compared to the cost of store bought bread, damper just can't be beaten. You can make a damper loaf about 6 times cheaper and feed just as many happy faces, and it's not full of preservatives.