Happy Australia Day

Okay, the plans didn't go quite according to, well, plans. It was raining and although that isn't enough to stop the church cricket match it was enough to stop the Australia Day grinch (a.k.a. Wolf). So we stayed home and had a relaxing day.

But we did make Damper!

Damper is a basic bread created by the early stockmen. It has very basic ingredients because they weren't able to carry a lot of provisions with them away for weeks or months at a time.

The basic ingredients are...

3 cups of self raising flour

3 tablespoons of butter

salt

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water

2 adorable helpers to make a massive mess.

We added some herbs so that we could have it with our spaghetti for dinner (I know it wasn't lamb but I didn't have any lamb)

You can add sultanas and other dried fruit and some sugar for a sweet bread.

Now it's time to get your hands dirty! Put all the dry ingredients in a basin and rub the butter through with your hands until it is like fine breadcrumbs.

Make a well in the centre and add the milk bringing the dry ingredients together to a dough.

Once it's all together tip it onto a floured surface and knead for a minute or two, while wearing some fantastic hats.

Shape into a disc, slice the top (Dragons was sliced in wedges, Lion got a crisscross pattern), brush the top with milk and sprinkle with more flour (or more herbs) and place on an oven tray.

Lion's loaf

Dragon's loaf

Bake in a moderate oven for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.

Tear it apart and eat it while still warm with lots of butter.

Have some lamingtons for dessert.