Damper with wattleseed and gubinge

Cook this easy damper in an oven or over hot coals and serve with lashings of butter and honey.

Damper with wattleseed. Credit: Murdoch Books / Alicia Taylor

• serves

  4-8

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  40 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 500 g wholemeal or white self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp gubinge (kakadu plum) powder
• 3 tbsp ground wattleseed
• 60 g butter, cold
• 1 cup (250 ml) milk

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a baking tray.
2. Mix the flour, salt, gubinge (kakadu plum) powder and wattleseed in a large bowl. Add the butter and rub it into the flour mixture with your fingers until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Using a blunt knife, stir in the milk to make a soft dough; it should not be too sticky. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead into a ball.
3. Place the dough on the baking tray and put it in the oven or directly on hot coals. Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until the outside is slightly golden and the base sounds hollow when you tap it. Let the bread cool a little before slicing or tearing into chunks.

Note

When Elder Bruno Dann’s brother Robert visits Elder Bruno at Twin Lakes, he is busy making damper. Whether for the immediate family or larger gatherings with extended family and friends, his damper is a cornerstone of their outdoor kitchen. It’s a delicious little snack for kids and grown-ups alike, especially when it’s slathered with butter and drizzled with bush honey. "We all sit around camp and prepare our nightly meal, each with a unique meaning and flavour. We often enjoy this bread as a side or to scoop up the delicious curry liquid," says Elder Bruno.

Image and text from The Australian Ingredients Kitchen by Elder Bruno Dann and Tahlia Mandie, photography by Alicia Taylor (Murdoch Books RRP $39.99.)

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.