Australian Bread

DAMPER

Damper Bread is the traditional Australian Bush Tucker Man.  It is quick mix bread and baked over an open fire.  However, everyone can cook damper in their own kitchen, or in the backyard.

Today is Australia day, and I wish to bake the damper to share with friends, but yesterday my oven has gone off from the power.  I did not understand why, so I have been unlucky.  An Electrition is needed now to fix the oven.

To bake the damper in a big pot on a fire over a stove is almost imitated the baking technique in the bush maybe is going to work, I thought.  Indeed I did work very well, only took a longer time and rather troublesome.

 The heavy based pot and the tin to bake the damper over fire on the stove

The ingredients as I remember,  325 self-rising flour, 220 plain flour, 1/2 spoon bicarbonate of soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 125 salted butter, 118 g grated tasty cheese, 1 cup mixed chopped fresh herbs, 1cup milk+3/4 cup water, a pinch of salt.  Bake in a Pot over the stove for 52 minutes.

Here they are the pictures of the process of baking the damper.  

Flour mixed with Butter

Cooking and baking the damper

Freshly baked, the bottom of the damper is crisp

The top of the damper ( it turned over for the last 9
minutes baking)

The damper wrapped in the cloth to keep moist and warm

Slice and buttered to serve.

Cut in halves when it is cool

The damper stayed hot for a while, it sliced well when it was warm but it was not easy to butter them as they were not cool enough  

The basket was ready for the damper to be taken away, for our morning tea with friends at our sports club. Overall it was a successful baking, it was delicious.

The basket for sliced damper - cheese and herbs damper

The look and the texture of the damper are different if it was baked in the oven.  The look could have been like this picture, I baked it in the oven seven years ago.

It is all good, I am so glad I did it a different way this time, and I enjoy baking it once a year.

Until Next Post


Susy