Boy Bakes Treats - Damper

Damper

Boy Bakes Treats - Damper

If you find the idea of bread-making a little intimidating, this crunchy and moist loaf might be for you. There's no yeast, no proofing, and even minimal kneading. In fact, you can have a delicious damper made and ready to eat in about an hour.

An iconic Aussie dish, damper was a staple for many inland travellers in the Australian bush. It was traditionally baked over a campfire and originally made with just flour, salt and water - all ingredients that could withstand long journeys to remote outposts.

For this recipe we're making the most of modern creature comforts with the leavening agents in self-raising flour and a bit of dairy for improved taste and mouthfeel. In fact, butter is a bit of a key for a good damper - the colder it is, the better crumb you'll get. And speaking of modern conveniences, you can save yourself some time from rubbing the butter into the flour by giving the butter and flour mixture a quick blitz in a food processor to get the same consistency.

Unlike other bread, you don't want to overwork the damper dough, so handle it with a little care and stop kneading as soon as it feels smooth and slightly springy.

Your damper dough will be a bit crumbly when it first comes out of the oven, so let it cool down a bit to make it easier to slice. It is a superb side for hearty soups and stews, and is excellent on its own with a healthy amount of golden syrup.

MAKES

8 slices

PREP

10 minutes
plus resting

COOKS

30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 cups self-raising flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 40 grams butter, cubed
  • 1 1/4 cups milk

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius/390 degrees Fahrenheit and line an oven tray with baking paper.
  2. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Add the butter and rub it into the flour with the tips of your fingers until it resembles fine crumbs. It's important that the butter is cold when you do this otherwise it will turn into a sticky mess.
  3. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in the milk. Use a round-bladed knife in a cutting motion to mix until mixture just comes together, then use your hands to make a soft, but not sticky dough. If you still feel it's a little dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of water to help the mixture bind.
  4. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and shape into a soft, smooth ball. Don't overwork the dough, so stop kneading as soon as it feels smooth and slightly springy. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for 20 minutes.
  5. Set the ball of dough onto your prepared oven tray and flatten gently to make a round about 18cm across. Use a sharp knife that has been dipped in flour to mark 8 wedges on top, approximately 1cm deep. Brush the top of the dough with milk and sift a little extra flour over the dough.
  6. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown, then reduce the heat to 170 degrees Celsius/340 degrees Fahrenheit and bake another 20 minutes. To test to see if it's done, give it a tap on the base, and if it sounds hollow it's ready. Alternatively, if a skewer place into the centre of the dough comes out clean it is done. Transfer to a wire rack for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Recipe notes