Damper

Method

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1. Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F and dust a baking tray with flour.

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2. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl and rub in the butter until it looks like fine crumbs.

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3. Pour in most of the milk and mix with a butter knife until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms, adding the rest of the milk only if it is needed.

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4. Turn onto a floured surface and knead gently for 1 minute, just until smooth. Do not overwork it.

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5. Shape into a round about 5 cm high and set on the tray. Cut a deep cross in the top with a floured knife and dust with flour.

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6. Bake 30 minutes, until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath.

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7. Cool 5 minutes, then tear or slice and serve warm with butter and golden syrup.

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Chef’s Tips

• Handle the dough as little as possible. Kneading toughens a raised-by-powder bread.
• Cut the cross deep so the middle bakes through.
• Eat it within the hour. It goes stale quickly.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• No self-raising flour to hand? Use the same weight of plain flour plus 2 teaspoons of baking powder per 150 g.

Pairing Suggestions

• Butter and golden syrup
• A hearty beef stew
• Billy tea

Storage & Reheating

Best warm from the oven. Keep wrapped 1 day, then toast slices. Freeze for 2 months.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.