Damper
Australian bush bread raised without yeast, baked under a lid and torn apart warm with butter and golden syrup.
Photo : foam · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Serves
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
Method
- Heat the oven to 200 C with a cast iron pot and its lid inside, so both come up to temperature.
- Mix the flour and salt, then rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until it forms small crumbs.
- Pour in the milk and water at once. Bring it together by hand into a soft dough, working it no longer than 30 seconds.
- Shape a flattened round about 18 cm across and cut a deep cross in the top with a knife.
- Brush with milk, lower the dough into the hot pot and put the lid back on.
- Bake covered for 25 minutes, then uncovered for 10 more to colour the crust.
- Tap the base and listen for a hollow sound. Tear the loaf by hand and serve warm.
Australian drovers baked this bread in campfire ashes under a buried cast iron pot. The lid recreates that steam trap and keeps the crumb tender. With no self-raising flour to hand, use 3 tsp baking powder for every 450 g of plain flour.
