Aussie Damper Bread

When I saw Lorraine Pascale prepare this loaf, I immediately thought of one of my trips to Australia where I spent a few nights sleeping under the stars at Uluru (Ayers Rock). I was taught how to make this bread by my guide as it is one of the simplest loaves to make and requires little preparation.

At the campsite, we mixed up the dough and placed it in an earthy pot with a lid and then buried the pot in the ground amongst some of the hot coals from the fire. About 45 mins later we had a delicious loaf. If I remember rightly, at the time of eating, a sandstorm swept through the camp and we ended up with a very sandy BBQ but you get the drift.

Hopefully if you give this a go at home, you won't have to contend with sand, but its a great place to start if you are keen to bake but unsure where to start. The recipe uses self raising flour, so no need for yeast and also doesn't require time to rise and prove. Lorraine suggests it's a good dipping bread in olive oil and a nice fruity balsamic - who am I to disagree. Give it a go.