Culinary Travel: Christmas Damper, Australia

Damper is a scone or bread mixture which was originally made by cooking the dough in a campfire in the bush by stockmen or drovers in the early days. A drover in Australia is a person, typically an experienced stockman, who moves livestock, usually sheep, cattle, and horses "on the hoof" over long distances. Reasons for droving may include: delivering animals to a new owner's property, taking animals to market, or moving animals during a drought in search of better feed and/or water. Moving a small mob of quiet cattle is relatively easy, but moving several hundreds or thousands head of wild station cattle over long distances is a completely different matter. One of the longest droves ever recorded was done by Patrick Durack and his brother Michael. They trekked across the north of Australia from their property on Coopers Creek in Queensland with 7,250 breeding cattle and 200 horses to the Kimberley region of Western Australia near Kununurra. The 3,000 mile journey of cattle to stock Argyle Downs and Ivanhoe Station took a total of 3 years. It is fair to say that these drovers spent a few Christmases out in the bush. 

Ingredients

2 cups of self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup milk or water (enough to make a medium or soft dough)
1 teaspoon of bicarbonate soda

Directions

Preheat oven. A camp oven will work as well. Place the flour, salt, sugar and bicarbonate of soda in a large bowl. Using your fingertips, rub butter into flour until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the milk and stir until a soft dough forms.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 3 equal portions. Roll each portion into a 20 inches long, ¾ inch diameter log.

Plait the dough portions, then join the ends to form a round wreath shape or star if you prefer. Brush with extra milk. Wrap in foil and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden (or in ashes if you are cooking it in a fire). Set aside to cool. You can decorate with ribbon, leaves and berries. Serve with butter and jam, honey or golden syrup.

Unfortunately I could not find a temperature setting for an oven, despite reviewing many different Damper recipes. Like the Drovers of old, I guess you'll have to rough it. 

Call Rawhide Travel and Tours at (602) 843-5100. Check out our website: rawhidetravel.com or email us at flythis@rawhidetravel.com.

Presented By:
Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc
6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona 85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
rawhidetravel.com