This Easy Damper with olives, sun dried tomatoes and cheese is so delicious I just can’t stop eating it!
The best thing is it’s so quick to mix together and perfect to go with a soup or take to a barbecue. My husband’s favorite way to eat this damper is dipping into extra virgin olive oil.
What is damper?
Damper is the Australia bush bread. Traditionally baked in a camp oven over coals. A camp oven is a cast iron pot with a lid. Basically it’s a dutch oven. The traditional damper recipe is simply flour, salt and water. The basics that every drover, stockman or outback traveller carried.
I have fond memories of baking damper at primary school and eating it with lots of sticky, golden syrup. This was certainly not something I ate at home so it always seemed so much more fun and tasty. My school teacher got right into the whole Australian theme by lighting a fire and baking the damper in the camp oven. It was crispy on the outside and soft and tender inside. We always had billy tea with our damper and hanging on a tree was the canvas water bag for a cool drink. The canvas water bag was designed to be used in the Australian Outback with the moist canvas keeping the water cool.
This Easy Damper Recipe is a little different …in a good way!
My recipe for Damper with olives, sun dried tomatoes and cheese was created out of necessity. Modern necessity. I wanted bread to go with my soup and I didn’t have a lot of time so a yeast bread was out of the question. This Easy Damper is basically a quick bread – quick to mix and quick to bake. And just like a traditional quick bread, it uses basic ingredients you may have in your pantry and refrigerator.
- flour
- salt
- cheese – I used mozzarella but you can substitute whatever you have
- bottled black olives – green would be fine
- bottled sun dried tomatoes in oil
- milk or you can use water
Of course, you can personalise your damper any way you like. Substitute the olives and sun dried tomatoes for something else – maybe bacon or pepperoni, herbs or garlic, add lightly fried mushrooms. However I think some sort of cheese is always delicious whether it be Parmesan, fontina or feta.
Why not make this Easy Damper with olives, sun dried tomatoes and cheese this weekend. You can check out my soup or salad recipes to go with this delicious quick bread. I’d love to see your photos when you bake this bread. Please don’t be shy – share and tag me #marcellinaincucina.
Have you signed up for my recipes directly to your inbox?
No? Sign up now and get your free copy of my latest eBook – 10 Secrets of Italian Cooking.
Baci,
Easy Damper with olives, sun dried tomatoes and cheese
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups self raising flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup black olives pitted and chopped
- 1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil chopped
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup oil from sun dried tomatoes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°C (200°C). Dust a baking tray generously with flour or line with non stick baking paper
- Mix together flour, salt, cheese, olives and sun dried tomatoes.
- Gently stir in milk and oil until combined and you have a slightly sticky dough.
- Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 20 seconds and form into a ball.
- Place the ball onto the floured tray. Flatten slightly.
- Cut a cross into the top of the dough.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until thoroughly cooked through. Check by inserting the blade of a knife into the damper. If uncooked dough is on the blade cook for 5 more minutes. There will be cheese sticking to the blade of the knife. That's ok.
- Wrap in a tea towel to cool to retain moisture. Serve warm or cool.
Notes
Nutrition
I’m going to make this as soon as I have some flower!
Hope you have flour very soon. Last week we had flour, sugar and pasta back in our stores.
Hello, I don’t have self raising floor, but I do have regular bread flour. What do I need to add for it to raise & the quantity to add… I meant if I’ve to substitute it self raising flour with baking powder or yeast in the regular bread flour.
Hi Jyothi, thanks for reaching out! This is a quick bread that really needs soft flour such as all purpose or self raising. I have never substituted bread flour but you may be able to use it. However, I think the result would not be quite the same – the bread would have a chewy texture, I think. If you go ahead you would need to add baking powder. Check your box of baking powder for the correct amounts. In Australia, I would need 5 teaspoons for 2 1/2 cups of flour.
If you want to use yeast, then that will change this recipe altogether. In that case, why not try my Cheese Bread https://www.marcellinaincucina.com/cheese-and-bacon-twist-bread-wi/
Hope this helps.
I c an just picture ‘putting the billy on’ and having this damper with my tea! I love the idea of making bread without using yeast!
It’s so easy, Fran!
I’m another one who has never heard of damper so I appreciated your explanation. Your bread looks great and would be a delicious addition to a meal.
Wow, I didn’t realise damper was so unheard of. Such a basic for us Aussies. Thanks, Karen!
What a brilliant idea ! Brava Marcellina ! Brava !
Thank you! Baci
Thanks for explaining what a damper is! Never heard of it. Surprised there isn’t wattleseed in it! Love your add-ins. That’s exactly what I like to do with yeasted breads!
Haha, no, I’m not one to really use wattleseed!
I’ve never heard of a damper before… looks so easy and, with the olives and tomatoes, savory! Although I like the idea of golden syrup on a plain damper!
David, golden syrup smothered over warm damper is just divine!