Damper
This is a traditional bread baked in the coals of an open fire but nowadays we bake it in a normal oven. Of course there are as many variations as there are days in the years but the basic recipe is as follows
Ingredients
- 4 cups self-raising flour
- ¾ - 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and mix in the sugar.
- Rub in the butter with your (clean) hands until a fine breadcrumb texture is achieved.
- For a well in the top of the flour, pour in the milk and water, and mix well with a knife until the dough come clean from the sides of the bowl.
- Turn out onto a floured board and knead until smooth and silky, like a baby's bottom.
- Shape into a mounded loaf, (some people cut a deep cross in the top) and bake in a preheated oven, 200 c / 400 F, for 25 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 180 c / 375 f and cook a further 10 - 15 minutes until done. The loaf should be a light golden brown colour and sound hollow when tapped.
- If you are "game" try cooking it on a camp fire; nothing beats that extra smoky flavour.