Description
Australian Damper is a traditional rustic bread made with just three simple ingredients: self-raising flour, milk, and butter. This easy-to-make bread is crunchy on the outside and soft, semi-crumbly, and dense inside. It is traditionally baked in a cast iron Dutch oven, capturing the authentic flavor and texture of bush bread, making it perfect for beginners or anyone wanting a quick homemade bread.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups Self-raising flour
- 1 tsp Salt
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup Milk (dairy free milk recommended)
- 1 tbsp Butter (dairy free butter recommended)
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the self-raising flour and salt. Add the butter and use your fingers to massage it into the flour until the mixture resembles sandy crumbs.
- Add Milk and Knead Dough: Create a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the milk. Use a fork to roughly combine the ingredients, then dust your hands with flour and knead the dough for about 1 minute until smooth. Shape the dough into a flat disk.
- Prepare for Baking: Grease a cast iron Dutch oven and place the dough inside. Using a knife, score the dough into 8 equal pieces to help portion it after baking.
- Bake the Bread: Cover the Dutch oven with its lid and place it in a preheated oven at 200°C (392°F). Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.
- Rest and Serve: Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before cutting into the scored pieces and serving warm.
Notes
- Traditionally, damper was baked in campfire ashes, but using a cast iron Dutch oven replicates this result indoors.
- The bread has a crunchy crust with a soft, dense, and slightly crumbly interior texture.
- This recipe is beginner-friendly and requires only three main ingredients.
- To test if the bread is cooked, tap the bottom or top — it should sound hollow.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8 of loaf)
- Calories: 133 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 313 mg
- Fat: 1 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.004 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 3 mg
