As we know, Americans observe Veterans Day every November 11th. It’s a day to honor and show appreciation to all men and women in military service; past, present, and future. Australians and New Zealanders observe this same type of commemoration annually on April 25th. This blog post celebrates our Down Under friends with a simple, rustic, versatile bread prepared and baked either indoors or out, the Australian Damper (Bush) Bread.
A Little Down Under Culture
Anzac Day
This special day on April 25th, devised during WW1, called Anzac Day stands for “Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. With this date around the corner, I really wanted to pause and give thanks, in my own way, to all patriotic men and women around the world who fight for basic human rights and freedoms.
The Aborigines
In honor of our Aussie service veterans, this bake focuses on the native Australians, the Aborigines. The Aborigines to Australia are like my Choctaw and Cherokee ancestors, the original inhabitants of North America. They were hunters and gatherers and lived off the land utilizing only what they needed. They taught European settlers how to survive, live, and thrive in the unforgiving outback.
The downside to new inhabitants… assimilation ☹
Unfortunately, these settlers in Australia treated Aborigines the way American settlers treated my Native American ancestors, forcing them to leave behind their culture and traditions in order to assimilate. (As an aside, I also have roots from the United Kingdom, so I have other ancestors on the unforgiving side.) Aside from the negativity though, both original and new inhabitants learned and benefited greatly from each other teaching trades and skills that were not already a part of their cultures.
The upside to new inhabitants… food 😊
The Aborigines introduced the well-known Bush Bread to the European settlers. Over time, Europeans renamed it as Damper Bread because of the way the Aborigines baked it over hot coals. In its most basic form, Bush Bread consists only of flour and water, but salt and baking powder are typically added for flavoring and rising. Today, you can add almost any sweetener, herbs, fat, and spice to liven up this basic recipe. See my recipe below for additional mix-ins.
Role of Aboriginal women and children in bread baking
Without a local mercantile in the outback, Aboriginal women and children used grinding stones to grind local seeds into flour. These seeds came from the local Acacia and Wattle native plants. The hard, physical task of grinding seeds took about two hours to produce about one pound of flour. This means that a five-pound bag of flour purchased in the grocery stores would’ve taken them ten solid hours to process by hand. Crikey! Keep in mind that they were baking for an entire tribe and they had other responsibilities.
Why the name “damper” bread?
Once the flour was mixed with water, the Aborigines baked the bread loaves directly in the ashes or on top of the hot coals of a campfire. This is where the “damper” name comes from, to “damper”, dull, or depress the fire in order to bake in ash. AND YES! As you would’ve guessed, there were ashes on the baked bread. But they would simply brush or tear off the black ash and eat the “clean” portions around and on the inside. Hey! A little ash never hurt anyone, right?
Thanks to modern convenience, this bread recipe uses store-bought flour and is baked in a skillet in an oven, but you could easily bake this bread in a cast iron Dutch oven over hot coals of a campfire.
About the Damper Bread recipe
The Aboriginal Bush Bread, also known as the Australian Damper Bread, resembles the Irish Soda Bread in its simplicity but doesn’t contain any baking soda. Like the Irish Soda Bread, there are only four simple ingredients; flour, salt, baking powder, and milk (or water).
Difference between Australian Damper Bread and Irish Soda Bread
The difference between the Australian Damper Bread and the Irish Soda Bread is the substitution of baking powder for soda and either water or milk in place of buttermilk. Baking powder in the Damper Bread recipe serves as the leavening agent. Since baking powder already has an acidic component, there’s no need for an acidic liquid like buttermilk. The baking powder alone mixed with any liquid will help the dough rise without any yeast. So, if you want to make a simple “soda” bread at home and don’t have an acidic liquid (like buttermilk), either make a substitution (see my blog on 5+ Buttermilk Substitutions), or just triple the amount of baking powder for the baking soda and add water as your liquid ingredient.
How to sub baking powder for baking soda
For example, if a recipe calls for one teaspoon of baking soda, you can substitute three teaspoons of baking powder in that recipe.
1 tsp baking soda = 3 tsp of baking powder
How to sub baking soda for baking powder
The reverse is not as simple, but if you have baking soda and cream of tartar, you can make your own baking powder. With the homemade substitution, if a recipe calls for one tsp of baking powder, just sub the same amount with the homemade version.
Recipe: mix two parts cream of tartar with one part baking soda.
2 tsp cream of tartar + 1 tsp baking soda = 3 tsp of baking powder
The famous Australian Fairy Bread
Most adults having grown up in Australia and most children currently living in Australia LOVE the famous “Fairy” Bread. It makes an appearance at birthday parties and adults are nostalgic for it. First, all you need is a slice of basic white bread, like the Australian Damper Bread. Then spread one side with softened butter (which adds flavor and acts as a glue). Follow up by sprinkling on your favorite childhood sugar cookie topping like rainbow sprinkles. Fairy Bread has existed for over a century! Surprise! It was referenced in a 1913 poem by Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson. So, while us Americans may think this is a new snack craze… it is NOT.
Fairy Bread Poem by Robert Louis Stevenson
Come up here, O dusty feet!
Here is fairy ready to eat.
Here in my retiring room,
Children ,you may dine
On the golden smell of broom
And the shade of pine;
And when you have eaten well,
Fairy stories hear and tell.
Final thoughts on Damper Bread
The smell of this bread reminded me of a southern American biscuit. However, since Scott was the taster, he felt that it was a bit simpler in flavor. The only indulgent ingredient in this recipe was the whole milk.
You can quickly make and bake this bread for breakfast or dinner. Eat slices of it for breakfast or a snack with butter, jam, nut butter, or Nutella. Cut it in wedges and eat it as a side with lunch or dinner.
As the baker, I recommend it for its simplicity and versatility, see my many flavorful mix-in suggestions in the recipe ingredient list. With Scott as the taster, he recommends it for its sustenance and blank canvas.
In thinking about the Australian Damper Bread’s simplicity, it can be baked on the fly with so few ingredients. It provides sustenance and makes a great meal component for soldiers in war, a cowboy on the range, or backpacker in the backcountry. If you have flour and water, you can bake bread like the Aborigines.
Thank you to all veterans
Thanks to all veterans around the world for your bravery and patriotism in serving and protecting us all. This bread is for you.
Until next time, enjoy the simple, natural things in life like the Aborigines and Native Americans, remember to thank veterans for their service, and as always go bake the world.
Check out my video with step-by-step directions on making both the Damper and Fairy bread: “Australian Damper to Fairy Bread: Simple & Savory or Sweet“.
Australian Damper to Fairy Bread: Simple & Savory or Sweet
Ingredients
Basic Dough Ingredients:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 – 1¼ cup milk or water
Optional Mix-in Ingredients (select based on preferred flavor combinations):
- 5 tbsp chilled butter or shortening
- 1 ½ tbsp sugar honey or maple syrup
- 2 tsp dried herbs rosemary, chives, Italian seasoning, thyme, basil, marjoram, oregano, parsley, etc.
- ½ cup shredded cheese
- ½ cup chopped dried fruit raisins, cranberries, blueberries, etc.
- ½ cup chopped nuts macadamia
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
Fairy Bread Ingredients:
- softened butter enough to coat preferred number of bread slices
- rainbow sprinkles or any sugar cookie topping colored sugar, chocolate sprinkles, nonpareils, chocolate chips, etc.
Instructions
Dough Directions:
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk in flour, baking powder, salt, and preferred optional mix-ins. If adding a solid fat, cut or massage in butter or shortening using your fingers or pastry cutter.
- Heat 1 cup of milk or water in the microwave (~45 seconds or so) or on the stove until the temperature 100˚F-110˚F / 38˚C-43˚C. With a spoon, slowly stir the liquid in with the other ingredients. Begin kneading with your hands until all the flour is well moistened and begins to form a ball. If necessary, add milk (water) or flour to adjust the texture.
- Preheat the oven to 410°F / 210°C.
- Scoop the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead, fold, and turn it over just enough to create a smooth round ball. Kneading the dough too much will create a heavy and dense bread.
- Once the oven has preheated, place a cast iron skillet (~9 inches in diameter works well) or Dutch oven in the oven on the middle rack for 5 minutes to heat up. After 5 minutes, remove the skillet and dust the bottom of it with flour to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Place the dough round in the skillet and flatten the dough to near the edges.
- Put the skillet in the oven for about 45 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. The bread will swell during baking.
- Shake the skillet after 15 minutes of baking to ensure even browning and to prevent sticking.
- The bread is baked when a knife inserted in the center of it comes out clean or the internal temperature reaches 190˚F / 88˚C. The bread should offer a hollow sound when tapped in the center.
- Let the damper sit for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Fairy Bread Directions:
- Slice the damper bread and spread one side generously with butter (at least enough to serve as a glue to hold on to the topping).
- Sprinkle on your favorite toppings, as much as you would like.
- Eat and enjoy! Your kids will LOVE the Fairy Bread!
Video
Notes
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes.
Interested in some other simple breads? Check out these recipes.
