Damper
Vegetarian
A simple Australian soda-style bread of flour, butter, milk and baking powder, traditionally baked in the coals of a campfire and eaten hot with butter and golden syrup.
Damper is an Australian bread, ready in about 40 minutes and made with all-purpose flour, baking powder and butter. It serves 8 and is rated beginner to cook.
No licensed photograph of this dish yet.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Serves
- 8
- Level
- Beginner
- Calories
- 283
Method
Step 1
Mix the flour, baking powder (opens in a new tab) and salt. Rub in the butter (opens in a new tab) with your fingertips until it looks like breadcrumbs.
- 5 min
Step 2
Add the milk (opens in a new tab) and mix quickly with a knife to a soft, slightly sticky dough. Knead very briefly on a floured board and shape into a round about 5 cm thick. Cut a deep cross on top.
- 4 min
Handle it as little as possible to keep it light.
How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels Step 3
Bake on a floured tray at 200 °C for 25–30 minutes until golden and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath.
Step 4
Break into wedges and serve warm with butter (opens in a new tab) and golden syrup (opens in a new tab).
- 1 min
How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels
About this dish
- Origin
- Australia · Well documentedThe bread of colonial stockmen and travellers. Aboriginal Australians made their own breads from ground native seeds long before; the term 'bush bread' is used for both.More food from Australia
- Dish
- Breakfast · Snack · Lunch · Breads & flatbreads
- Cooking method
- Oven-baked
- Taste
- mild, buttery
- Diet
- Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredientsWithout the optional extras: No added sugarWith the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-based, Ovo-vegetarian, Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free - Good for
- Budget-friendly · Child-friendly
- Cook more with
- All-purpose flour · Baking powder · Butter · Milk
Allergens
- Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom butter, milk
- Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour, baking powder
- Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour, baking powder
Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.
Nutrition
283 kcal per serving
Calculated1 serving ≈ 105 g · recipe makes 8
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 10%
- Carbohydrate 65%
- Fat 25%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g* |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 283 kcal | 270 kcal |
| Protein | 7.1 g | 6.8 g |
| Carbohydrate | 45.2 g | 43.2 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 43.7 g | 41.7 g |
| Sugars | 2.1 g | 2 g |
| Added sugars | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fibre | 1.5 g | 1.5 g |
| Fat | 7.9 g | 7.5 g |
| Saturated fat | 4.7 g | 4.4 g |
| Trans fat | — | — |
| Cholesterol | 20 mg | 19 mg |
| Sodium | 534 mg | 509 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 1.3 g | 1.3 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 113 mg
- Calcium
- 152 mg
- Iron
- 2.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 17 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 69 µg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.5 µg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 µg
- Folate (DFE)
- 166 µg
How these numbers were made
- Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
- *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
- Optional ingredients are not included: golden syrup.
- “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
- Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
Good to know
Storage
- Best on the day; wrap leftovers and toast the next day.
Variations
- Campfire damper (Australia): Baked in a greased camp oven buried in coals, or wrapped around sticks and toasted over the fire.
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
Recipe DNA
How this dish is built
Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.
What the dish is built around
Main ingredient
- All-purpose flour450 g
- Butter, cold, diced60 g
- Milk300 ml · 309 g
Baker’s notes
Customise in Bread & BakeryTimeline and readiness cues
Mix and knead · about 10 min
Mix only until no dry flour remains — overmixing makes it tough and tunnelled.
Bake · about 30 min at 200 °C
Risen and golden; a skewer in the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs; the top springs back.
- Start to finish: about 40 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.
The dough
| Ingredient | Role | Weight | Baker’s % |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | Flour | 450 g | 100% |
| Butter | Fat | 60 g | 13.3% |
| Baking powder | Raising agent | 13 g | 3% |
| Salt | Salt | 6 g | 1.3% |
- Total flour
- 450 g
- Hydration
- —
- With milk, eggs…
- 0%
- Wholegrain
- 0%
Hydration = water ÷ flour × 100. Milk is about 87% water and eggs about 75%, so they’re shown separately as “with milk, eggs…”.
- Salt 1.3% — on the low side (1.8–2.2% is typical for bread).
- Fat 13.3% — a rich, tender dough.
If something goes wrong
Gummy or wet crumb
Likely causes
- Under-baked
- Sliced while hot
- Hydration too high for the flour
What to do
- Bake to 93–96 °C inside (cakes: clean skewer)
- Cool completely on a rack before slicing
- Reduce water by 3–5% or use a stronger flour
Collapsed or sunken middle
Likely causes
- Oven door opened too early
- Too much leavening or sugar
- Under-baked centre
- Over-proofed yeast dough
What to do
- Don't open the oven for the first two-thirds of baking
- Measure leaveners exactly with spoons, levelled
- Test the centre before removing
- Proof less
Pale crust
Likely causes
- Oven too cool
- Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
- Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)
What to do
- Check the oven with a thermometer
- Brush with egg wash or milk
- Shorten the fermentation
Burnt bottom
Likely causes
- Tray too close to the heat
- Dark tray absorbs more heat
- Too much sugar in the dough
What to do
- Bake on the middle shelf
- Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
- Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
Crust too hard or thick
Likely causes
- Baked too long at too low a temperature
- No steam at the start
What to do
- Bake hotter for a shorter time
- Add steam for the first 15 minutes (tray of boiling water, or a covered Dutch oven)
- Cool under a tea towel for a softer crust
Big holes or tunnels
Likely causes
- Overmixed batter (cakes, muffins)
- Air trapped while shaping bread
- Uneven proof
What to do
- Mix quick breads only until no dry flour shows
- Degas gently and shape tightly
- Proof covered in an even, warm place
Dry or crumbly
Likely causes
- Too much flour (scooped, not weighed)
- Over-baked
- Too little fat or sugar
What to do
- Weigh flour, or spoon it into the cup and level
- Check 5 minutes early
- Don't cut fat or sugar by more than a quarter without another moisture source
Reviews & corrections
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