Here's my recipe for damper, which I make into Johnny Cakes. Actually I've never had a recipe, I've just made them off the cuff, but this time I did some measurements so I could share them. When you know what you're aiming for you can just throw flour and water in until it looks right for whatever volume you want.
The exact measurements may vary each time depending on the flour available, but here goes:
300g Self Raising Flour (2 cups)
200ml Water (approx)
(As you can see this is a traditional damper made only with flour and water)
I started by adding 150ml of water to the flour and mixed it by hand in a bowl.
This mix was too dry:
so I added another 50ml of water and mixed it in (making the total water added 200ml). This was a bit wet and sticky, but the dough had come together.
At this point I had to do some running around and I knew that if I left the dough to sit, the stickiness would disappear and the dough would come together even better. I could have added a bit more flour if I wanted to use it straight away, or more water if it was too dry.
When I got back I broke the dough in half, and formed each half into 6 golf ball sized balls.
I pre-heated a non-stick pan (I usually use cast iron if I'm on a fire), and when it was hot, I turned the heat down low.
I put some of the dough balls onto the pan, then pressed them out flat (about 1 cm thick)
All up they were cooked for about 10 minutes, I flipped them over few times; tapping them with the back of my finger nail until they sounded hollow.
Then cut in half and butter and golden syrup added. (If you cut one and its still a bit wet in the middle, just put it back onto the pan for a few more minutes – no harm done)
YUM.
For a bit of fun I decided to make a few cinnamon Johnny Cakes with some of the remaining dough,
so I rolled some of the balls out and sprinkled cinnamon (powder) and sugar onto them. I wet the top surface of the dough with some water (could also use milk or butter if you like) so that the cinnamon and sugar would stick a bit better,
then rolled them into small scrolls:
As before I pressed them flat (approx 1cm) and cooked them for about 10 minutes, flipping them several times.
The sugar will tend to caramelize and go black, but if you keep the heat low, they will not burn.
These are great plain, or buttered.
If you're not a damper maker, hopefully I've inspired you to give it a try. There are 1001 variations and twists and lots of ways to cook them too - see what you can come up with.
Enjoy
The exact measurements may vary each time depending on the flour available, but here goes:
300g Self Raising Flour (2 cups)
200ml Water (approx)
(As you can see this is a traditional damper made only with flour and water)
I started by adding 150ml of water to the flour and mixed it by hand in a bowl.
This mix was too dry:
so I added another 50ml of water and mixed it in (making the total water added 200ml). This was a bit wet and sticky, but the dough had come together.
At this point I had to do some running around and I knew that if I left the dough to sit, the stickiness would disappear and the dough would come together even better. I could have added a bit more flour if I wanted to use it straight away, or more water if it was too dry.
When I got back I broke the dough in half, and formed each half into 6 golf ball sized balls.
I pre-heated a non-stick pan (I usually use cast iron if I'm on a fire), and when it was hot, I turned the heat down low.
I put some of the dough balls onto the pan, then pressed them out flat (about 1 cm thick)
All up they were cooked for about 10 minutes, I flipped them over few times; tapping them with the back of my finger nail until they sounded hollow.
Then cut in half and butter and golden syrup added. (If you cut one and its still a bit wet in the middle, just put it back onto the pan for a few more minutes – no harm done)
YUM.
For a bit of fun I decided to make a few cinnamon Johnny Cakes with some of the remaining dough,
so I rolled some of the balls out and sprinkled cinnamon (powder) and sugar onto them. I wet the top surface of the dough with some water (could also use milk or butter if you like) so that the cinnamon and sugar would stick a bit better,
then rolled them into small scrolls:
As before I pressed them flat (approx 1cm) and cooked them for about 10 minutes, flipping them several times.
The sugar will tend to caramelize and go black, but if you keep the heat low, they will not burn.
These are great plain, or buttered.
If you're not a damper maker, hopefully I've inspired you to give it a try. There are 1001 variations and twists and lots of ways to cook them too - see what you can come up with.
Enjoy
