Australian campfire recipes part 1 - Damper Bread

Here’s a recipe for the traditional Australian campfire bread known as damper. We like to cook it here in the coals of burned-down ritual fires lit on Camera Obscura acres to celebrate various pagan festivals, and for other rites of dubious provenance. This is a cheese and chive variant, which can be done in foil in the coals, or in an iron camp oven.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Flour
• 4 Tsp. Baking Powder (heaping)
• 1/4 teaspoon of Salt
• 1 cup grated tasty cheese (in the USA, this would be “sharp” cheese)
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chives, chopped
• 15g (1 Tbsp.) Butter (approximately)
• 3/4 Cup Water or Beer (approximately)
• Milk

Directions

Fire off a campfire and let it die down. Sift the flour and mix in the salt and baking powder, then rub in the butter as with scones. You’re going for the consistency of bread crumbs at this point. Add in most of the cheese and chives and mix like a crazy person.

Then mix in the water or beer not overdoing it and looking ultimately for a doughy consistency. Knead lightly on a board/flat surface/altar until smooth. Form into a round shape. Wrap the dough in foil or put in a camp oven and brush with a bit of milk, then sprinkle with extra cheese. Adorn with symbols.

If you were doing it in a conventional oven, you’d bake for 15-20 minutes in at 425F (220C) oven, but since you’re dealing with a campfire, experimentation will get you there. Probably check at the 15 minute point and then the 20 minute point.

Serve sliced with butter, and hot tea, or other substances of choice.

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