Aussie Damper | Traditional Australian Bread

Gluten-free | Sugar-free | Dairy-free option | Vegan option

Makes 1 round loaf

Why it’s delicious

Damper is as Australian as sheep stations, billy tea and lamingtons. It is also quite possibly one of the easiest loaves of bread you can make! Traditionally made using only 2 ingredients, flour and water and cooked in the embers of an open fire, damper has evolved with many guises but all yeast free and ideally cooked in a campfire. 

Don’t worry if you don’t have a campfire, a really hot oven will suffice. 

Ingredients

• 300 g (10.5 oz) gluten free plain flour + extra for dusting 
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp xanthan gum 
• 1 tsp mineral salt like Himalayan 
• 60 g (2 oz) firm coconut oil or grass fed butter
• 120 ml (4 fl oz) non dairy milk like almond, hemp, oat or coconut , lukewarm
• 120 ml (4 fl oz) water, lukewarm
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Method

1. Preheat your oven on 250 C (390F) and heat a cast iron Dutch oven complete with a lid in the oven for at least 30 minutes to get piping hot. 
2. Make the dough by sifting the flour, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine and then using clean fingertips, rub in the firm coconut oil or grass fed butter. 
3. Whisk together the non dairy milk, water and vinegar and add to the dry ingredients. Using a knife, gently cut the flour into the liquid like you would if making scones. Go lightly and gently as you don't want to over mix the dough. 
4. Once the dough forms a ball, turn it out onto a lightly dusted bench and add a good sprinkling of flour to the top of the ball. Knead the dough gently, adding more flour if required until the dough forms a ball that doesn't stick to your hands or the bench when kneading. 
5. Turn the mixing bowl over and invert over the dough and leave to sit for 10 minutes. 
6. Carefully remove the hot pot from the oven and lay a large piece of baking paper in the pot and add the dough ball. Make a couple of incisions on top with a sharp knife to allow steam to escape and place the lid back on the pot. Sprinkle with a little flour. 
7. Bake the damper in the oven for 30-35 minutes until cooked through and slightly coloured on top. To check if the dough is cooked through, gently tap the bottom of the loaf. If it sounds hollow, it's cooked.
8. Allow the damper to cool on a wire rack or better still eat whilst hot!