Damper - Oceanian Recipe

Damper

🌍 Oceanian, Aboriginal Australian / Anglo-Australian frontier Difficulty: ●●●○○

Named for the stockmen's practice of dampening (mixing with water) flour carried in saddlebags; Aboriginal Australians had made seed-flour flatbreads for tens of thousands of years before Europeans arrived.

Ingredients

• 3 cups (375 g) self-raising flour (or all-purpose flour + 3 tsp baking powder)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp butter or lard (optional)
• 200–220 ml water or milk

Method

1. Step 1 — Build a campfire and let it burn down to hot coals. Alternatively, preheat oven to 200°C (400°F).
2. Combining — Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Rub in butter if using.
3. Adding — Add liquid gradually, mixing until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Do not overwork.
4. Shaping — Shape into a round loaf about 15 cm across.
5. Campfiring — Campfire method: Clear a space in the coals; place dough directly on hot coals or in a camp oven (cast-iron pot). Cover with coals. Bake 25–35 minutes, turning once.
6. Step 6 — Oven method: Place on a floured baking tray; bake 25–30 minutes until golden and hollow-sounding when tapped.
7. Step 7 — Tap the base — a hollow sound means it's done. Cool slightly before tearing.

Tags: self-raising flour, butter or lard, –220 ml water or milk · Source: Brittani's Almanac