Damper is a thick homemade soda bread traditionally prepared by early European settlers in Australia.
The bread is different from
bush bread, which has been made by
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians or Australian First Nations are people with familial heritage from, and membership in, the ethnic groups that lived in Australia before British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal peoples ...
for thousands of years and was traditionally made by crushing a variety of native seeds, nuts and roots, mixing them into a dough, and then baking the dough in the coals of a fire.
There is ongoing investigation into whether this technique of various
Aboriginal peoples influenced the development of colonial-era damper, similarly cooked in the ashes of a camp fire.
Damper is a
bread
Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour (usually wheat) and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. It is one of the oldest human-made f ...
made from
wheat
Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...
-based dough. Flour, salt and water, with some butter if available, is lightly kneaded and baked in the coals of a campfire, either directly or within a
camp oven. When cooked as smaller, individually-sized portions, these damper "bush scones" are often called "
johnny cakes".
It is uncertain if this name was influenced by the term for North American cornmeal bread. However, Australian johnny cakes, while often pan-fried, remain wheat-based.
Damper was utilised by
stockmen who travelled in remote areas for long periods, with only basic rations of flour, sugar and tea, supplemented by whatever meat was available.
It was also a basic provision of
squatters. The basic ingredients of damper were flour, salt, and water.
Baking soda
Sodium bicarbonate (IUPAC name: sodium hydrogencarbonate), commonly known as baking soda or bicarbonate of soda, is a chemical compound with the formula NaHCO3. It is a salt composed of a sodium cation ( Na+) and a bicarbonate anion ( HCO3� ...
or beer could be used for leavening. Damper was normally cooked in the ashes of the campfire. The ashes were flattened, and the damper was cooked there for ten minutes, often wrapped around a stick. Following this, it was covered with ashes and cooked for another 20 to 30 minutes until it sounded hollow when tapped. Alternatively, damper was cooked in a greased
camp oven.
Damper was eaten with dried or cooked meat or
golden syrup.
Damper is an iconic Australian dish.
While considered quintessentially Australian, and synonymous with early European settlement and rural life there, bread making is such an
ancient
Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history to as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient history cov ...
and
widespread practice that this form of bread baking is not unique to colonial or pre-colonial Australia.
Other cultures have similar versions of
hearth breads, and versions of soda breads are made in camping situations in many parts of the world,
including New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
See also
*
Bush bread
*
Bush tucker
Bush tucker, also called bush food, is any food native to Australia and used as sustenance by Indigenous Australians, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, but it can also describe any native flora or fauna used for culinary or ...
*
Tortilla de rescoldo
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Damper (Food)
Australian breads
Australian cuisine
Unleavened breads
Wheat dishes