Damper Bread

The other day I tried my hand at making damper bread, an Australian food similar to Irish soda bread (and I do love Irish soda bread). I used the recipe from Aussie Slang, but I didn't really like the way the bread turned out. It didn't cook all the way through after the set time it told me to keep it in the oven even though the top started to burn. It was still nearly raw dough in the middle and it wasn't sweet enough.

Next time I'm going to try the recipe this way:

Australian Damper Bread
4 cups self-rising flour
3/4 tsp salt
4 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp butter at room temp.
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and mix in the sugar.
2. Rub in the butter until a fine breadcrumb texture is achieved.
3. Pour in the milk and water and mix well with a knife until the dough comes clean from the sides of the bowl. Add another splash or two of milk if needed.
4. Turn out the dough onto a floured board and knead until smooth.
5. Shape into a mounded loaf and cut a deep cross on the top.
6. Cover top with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes, then lower the temperature to 375 and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until done. The loaf should be golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Variations include adding more sugar or butter, or raisins/nuts.

There you have it!

Aussie Slang

No need to be such a bloody drongo, mate! I've been brushing up on my Aussie Slang words and phrases. Gonna review with a cuppa and some vegemite toast. Cheers!