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.

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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, 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
🥘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 (affiliate link) 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
Add in a spoonful of zaatar
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 it.
Try damper with velvety vegan broccoli soup, creamy spicy cauliflower soup, easy carrot and celery soup, creamy vegan asparagus soup or my delicious Try my vegan beet soup.
Damper is also great for brekky, as this is a vegan damper recipe, enjoy it with a vegan egg scramble.
Or try it with dinner with any of these vegan roast recipes.
For a sweet damper, try it with my refined sugar-free plum jam.
💭Pro Tips
If you don’t have a cast iron dutch oven (affiliate link), 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.
❓FAQ
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.
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 gluten free tomato soup or creamy pumpkin soup without cream
Did you enjoy making this vegan damper recipe? I would love to hear from you, leave me a comment below and give me a rating. This will help me sustain Plant Based Folk.
Alternatively, did you happen to take a damper bread? Tag me @plantbasedfolk on Instagram to be featured via stories.
Janelle x
Damper Recipe (Australian 3 Ingredient Bread)
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Almond milk any plant milk is fine
- 2 cups Self raising flour
- 1 tablespoon Plant-based butter
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add flour and plant based butter, massage with your fingers until it resembles a sandy mixture.
- 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.
- 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.
- Once golden brown and hollow, allow 5 minutes resting before cutting up and serving.
Video
Notes
- 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
- 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.
- 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
N.B., nutrition info is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. This will vary based on the specific ingredients you use.
Christine
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.
Janelle Hama
Damper with fresh thyme is wonderful! I made some yesterday too, I added caraway seeds. Enjoy!
Veronica
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!!
Janelle Hama
So glad Veronica! I love the combination of this bread with Lebanese lentil soup too. So good, never get tired of it. 🙂
Jerika
Try this damper recipe!:) It's awesome because it uses only 3 ingredients.:) Thanks!
Alexandra
Love this delicious damper recipe- so easy!
ella
ok Aussie bread good. made it damper garlic once and. rosemary second time
Janelle
Yum! I love garlic damper, it's so good!