Brad’s damper recipe
The last month of autumn is nearly finished and the winter season will be nipping at our noses very soon. This is one of my favourite seasons to go out west and camp in the cold.
Disclaimer: I’m using the word camping very loosely. Most clients would call it ‘glamping’. It’s also a time when I can remove myself from the desk and play outside. Murphy’s Creek is one of our favourite destinations, but be aware that the name is not accurate. It is a dry campsite.
This article also comes with a warning: it involves me making a fire and cooking! Firstly, fires come with a lot of responsibility (please be careful) and camp oven cooking comes with a lot of pressure from the family. My favourite afternoon cooking recipe is the basic damper. It’s a great way to break up the daily activities, you can try many variances of the recipes and they taste great with a camp oven stew. Below is my basic damper recipe. Have fun experimenting and enjoy our “cold” Queensland winter.
Be great,
Damper Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
900g (6 cups) plain flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
500ml (2 cups) milk
1½ teaspoon butter
METHOD:
Sift together all dry ingredients and rub in butter. Make a well in the flour and pour in milk. Mix with a knife until your dough holds together (dough should be sticky to touch – not dry). Sprinkle with a little flour and turn out on to a lightly floured surface.
Place into a pre-heated (hot) camp oven on a foil-lined trivet or round cake tray (easier cleaning) and bake for 35 to 40 minutes (cooking times may vary according to intensity of heat). Your damper is cooked if it sounds hollow when tapped.
Serve with butter and golden syrup (there’s never too much syrup!).
Bon appetite!