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; 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.
Plant-based butter - as this has been made to be a vegan bread, use your preferred brand
Milk - I used almond milk, however, 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.
🎥Video
🍳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. Try damper with velvety vegan broccoli soup, creamy cauliflower soup, easy carrot and celery soup or creamy asparagus soup.
Damper is also great for brekky, as this is a vegan damper recipe, enjoy it with a vegan egg scramble.
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*, 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
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Janelle x
📖 Recipe
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
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!