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Home » Savory Baking

Damper Recipe (Australian 3 Ingredient Bread)

Published: Apr 13, 2021 by Janelle Hama *This post may contain affiliate links. Disclosure

146 shares
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This damper recipe is a celebrated Australian bread. It’s effortless, can be made in an oven or over a coal-fired camp. The outside is golden and crunchy with a filling inside. It's a wonderful 3 ingredients bread. 

damper in a cast iron dutch oven
Freshly baked damper bread made in a dutch oven

Damper bread was the first bread I learnt.

I think I was in year four or five, and I loved playing with this easy-to-make dough and then turning it into bread. The classroom smelt divine with baked bread.

It was part of learning our Australian history, learning about how the early settlers came to Australia with little to live on.

Making bread from two ingredients; plain flour and water to make damper, which they cooked over a campfire and carried around in a swag.

Once a jolly swagman… now that song is in my head.

Damper is one of our iconic foods, just like a meat pie, homemade vegan sausage roll and vegemite on toast.

Nowadays, the damper is a little bit fancier, with the addition of milk, and flavourings.

This damper bread recipe is a basic one, which you can vary, see variations below.

😋Why you’ll love this recipe

  • Damper is yeast-free and requires no leavening.
  • It’s a quick - simple mix, quick knead and then bake
  • It’s inexpensive, it’s a 3 ingredients bread (not counting the salt)

✔️What You’ll Need

ingredients on a white marble bench

🥘Ingredient Notes

Self-raising flour - is the easiest to use, however, if you prefer to use plain flour use a couple of teaspoons of baking powder with it to help create a lighter bread.

Butter - I used a vegan butter to keep this a vegan bread, use your preferred brand

Milk - I used almond milk, however, use your preferred milk or water can be used instead

🔪Step by step guide

Step 1 - In a large mixing bowl, add flour and plant-based butter, massage with your fingers until it resembles a sandy mixture.

Step 2 - Create a well and add milk, use a fork to mix together until you need to use your hands to knead the dough.

Dust your hands with flour and need for 1 minute. Create a disk with the dough.

Step 3 - Grease cast iron dutch oven and place dough into it, score dough into 8 pieces, cover with a lid and bake in a preheated oven of 200C (392F) for 35-40 minutes.

Step 4 - Once golden brown and hollow, allow resting for 5 minutes before serving.

🍳Variations

Making damper savoury

Add fresh herbs and black cracked pepper - I love using fresh rosemary

For a cheesy flavour - add some nutritional yeast

Add some chopped olives

Mix in some Vegemite into the dough

Crushed garlic is a huge hit with our family

Making damper sweet

Add chopped dried fruit such as sultanas or apricot pieces with a teaspoon of maple syrup

Damper with golden syrup - this is an Aussie favourite. Add a smear or drizzle of golden syrup to buttered damper bread.

close up of the top of the damper bread

💡What to serve with?

I love making damper whenever I make soup, as my family loves to dunk this Australian bread into it.

Try damper with creamy asparagus soup or my delicious Try my vegan beet soup.

For a sweet damper, try it with my refined sugar-free plum chia jam.

💭Pro Tips

If you don’t have a cast iron dutch oven, simply mould the dough into a disc and place it onto a baking tray and bake. 

To know when damper is ready, simply knock on the bottom of the bread if it sounds hollow then it is ready.

Make smaller individual damper rolls by making portioned balls and placing them onto a baking tray

Keep your loaf of damper enclosed in the dutch oven, it will stay soft. If you like the crunchy exterior, sit it out during serving.

bread cut up in pieces with a butter knife on the side

❓FAQ

Can I store damper?

I find storing damper in a snap-lock bag to be the most effective. It is best consumed within a couple of days. Ensure the bread is completely cool before storing.

How do you know when damper is cooked?

Damper is ready when it creates a hollow sound by knocking on the base of the bread loaf.

🥘Related recipes

Dunk this bread into some luscious vegan tomato fennel soup or easy vegan butternut squash soup with coconut milk

Did you make this? I'd love to know! Leave me a comment below with a ★★★★★ star rating or tag @plantbasedfolk on social media.

Recipe

damper in a cast iron dutch oven

Damper Recipe (Australian 3 Ingredient Bread)

This damper recipe is a celebrated Australian 3 Ingredient bread. It’s effortless, can be made in an oven or over a coal fired camp. The outside is golden and crunchy with a filling inside. 
Print Pin Rate Save Recipe Saved Recipe
Course: Bread, Side Dish
Cuisine: Australian
Diet: Vegan
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Janelle Hama

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup Almond milk any plant milk is fine
  • 2 cups Self raising flour
  • 1 tablespoon Plant-based butter
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
Metric - US Customary
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl, add flour and plant based butter, massage with your fingers until it resembles a sandy mixture.
    damper recipe step 1
  • Create a well and add milk, use a fork to mix together until you need to use your hands to knead the dough. Dust your hands with flour and knead for 1 minute. Create a disk with the dough.
    damper recipe step 2
  • Grease cast iron dutch oven and place dough into the cast iron dutch oven, score dough into 8 pieces, cover with lid and bake in a preheated oven of 200C (392F) for 35-40 minutes.
    Scoring damper bread in a dutch oven
  • Once golden brown and hollow, allow 5 minutes resting before cutting up and serving.
    cutting up freshly baked damper bread

Video


Notes

🍳Variations
Making damper savoury
  • Add fresh herbs and black cracked pepper - I love using fresh rosemary
  • For a cheesy flavour - add some nutritional yeast
  • Add some chopped olives
  • Mix in some Vegemite into the dough
  • Crushed garlic is a huge hit with our family
Making damper sweet
  • Add chopped dried fruit such as sultanas or apricot pieces with a teaspoon of maple syrup
  • Damper with golden syrup - this is an Aussie favourite. Add a smear or drizzle of golden syrup to buttered damper bread.
💡What to serve with?
I love making damper whenever I make soup, as my family loves to dunk this Australian bread into any type of soup. Try damper with velvety broccoli soup, or creamy cauliflower soup .
 
💭Pro Tips
  • If you don’t have a cast iron dutch oven, simply mould the dough into a disc and place it onto a baking tray and bake.
  • To know when damper is ready, simply knock on the bottom of the bread if it sounds hollow then it is ready.
  • Make smaller individual damper rolls by making portioned balls and placing them onto a baking tray
 
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 132kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 322mg | Potassium: 31mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg

N.B., nutrition info is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. This will vary based on the specific ingredients you use.


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    5 from 15 votes (10 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Christine

    July 26, 2022 at 4:04 pm

    5 stars
    I made this vegan damper today, I added some homegrown thyme leaves. The family gobbled it up with some soup. What I really like about this is there is no proofing and it's a soft semi crumbly bread. Thank you, I will be making this regularly.

    Reply
    • Janelle Hama

      July 27, 2022 at 8:07 am

      Damper with fresh thyme is wonderful! I made some yesterday too, I added caraway seeds. Enjoy!

      Reply
  2. Veronica

    March 22, 2022 at 3:58 am

    5 stars
    I was skeptical about this recipe, bread made in a dutch oven with just 3 ingredients??? Boy, I was wrong, it came out great, crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle. It was a perfect combo for the crushed lentil soup. A dipper for the soup, delicious!!

    Reply
    • Janelle Hama

      March 22, 2022 at 8:32 am

      So glad Veronica! I love the combination of this bread with Lebanese lentil soup too. So good, never get tired of it. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Jerika

    January 21, 2022 at 8:40 pm

    5 stars
    Try this damper recipe!:) It's awesome because it uses only 3 ingredients.:) Thanks!

    Reply
  4. Alexandra

    January 20, 2022 at 5:35 pm

    5 stars
    Love this delicious damper recipe- so easy!

    Reply
  5. ella

    April 16, 2021 at 4:47 pm

    5 stars
    ok Aussie bread good. made it damper garlic once and. rosemary second time

    Reply
    • Janelle

      April 19, 2021 at 9:03 am

      Yum! I love garlic damper, it's so good!

      Reply

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