Damper (Australian Campfire Bread)
Damper is Australian bushman's bread, made while camping or "waltzing matilda" (carrying a swag around looking for work). It is meant to be made outside by a campfire.
Ingredients
- 1 large cup self-raising flour
- 1 generous pinch salt
- scant ¼ cup water (more and it will be as tough as an old boot)
Ingredients for 4 servings (125 g) · the original recipe
Method
- 1
Add salt to flour.
- 2
Add water, then mix and form into a round loaf.
- 3
Dig a 1 foot-deep hole near a fire, and fill it with 2 shovels of hot coals and ash.
- 4
Add damper mixture to a greased camp oven (traditional cast iron round pot with lid).
Oven - 5
Cook in the hole for a maximum of 40 minutes. If undercooked it will be flat and rubbery.
- 6
Your first try may be inedible. Keep trying, you'll soon be an expert.
Recipe from Wikibooks Cookbook, written by Wikibooks contributors. Used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; the ingredient list and method on this page are taken from that page and edited (its notes, tips and variations are not reproduced), and are available under the same licence. The macros, equipment tags and scaling are Ma Kitchen’s own and are not the source’s figures. Ma Kitchen is not affiliated with or endorsed by Wikibooks Cookbook. Copied on 2026-11-12.
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