How to Cook Damper in an Oven

Damper is as emblematic of Aussie cuisine as the pavlova and meat pies. An icon of the outback, this simple unleavened bread is traditionally baked on a stick in the ashes of a campfire, a necessity for the peripatetic drovers, stockmen and livestock movers who traveled the bush with little more than a few essential rations. If you can bake damper in campfire ash, you can bake it anywhere, so using an actual oven to cook it is a luxury. As long as you don't miss the ashes of campfire-cooked damper, the oven-baked version will surely satisfy.

Things You'll Need

All-purpose flour
Butter, chilled and cubed
Salt
Mixing bowl
Butter knife

Rimmed baking sheet
Sharp kitchen knife
Milk
Pastry brush
Cooling rack

Instructions

Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mix a 9 to 1 ratio of all-purpose flour to chilled and cubed butter in a mixing bowl by hand until it has the texture of finely ground breadcrumbs. Add a pinch of salt to the dough while mixing.
Cut cold water into the dough by stirring it in with a butter knife as you pour. Add enough water to form a ball that doesn't crumble apart when you insert a finger in it.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead it until smooth, about one or two minutes. Sprinkle a bit of flour over the dough as needed so it remains tacky but not loose.
Lightly butter and flour a rimmed baking sheet. Shape the dough into a 6- or 7-inch-wide disk and place it on the baking sheet.
Dip a sharp kitchen knife in flour and score the top of the damper into eight triangles, similar to pie pieces. Score the damper barely through the surface, about 1/16 to 1/8 inch deep.
Brush the top and sides of the damper with milk and place it in the oven.
Bake the damper until it has a golden color on all sides and produces a hollow "thump" when you flick the bottom of it with your finger, about 30 to 45 minutes.
Take the damper out of the oven and let it cool on a rack for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

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