Photography: Richard Mortimer

Recipes by Suzanne Gibbs

Serving size: Serves 2
Cuisine type: Modern Australian
Course: Lunch
Favourite flavours: Cakes/baking

Damper

INGREDIENTS

3 cups (450g) self-raising flour, plus extra to dust
60g butter, cubed
1 cup (250ml) milk
sliced cold meat, cheese, chutney, dill pickles, to serve

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Lightly grease and flour a baking tray. Sift flour and 1 teaspoon salt into a large bowl. Rub in butter, using fingertips, until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Make a well in centre of flour and pour in milk and ¼ cup water. Mix with a knife until dough comes away from sides of bowl, adding a little more flour if dough is too slack.

2. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and cut in half. Shape each piece with palms of hands to form two 10cm round loaves. Place on prepared tray. Bake for 20 minutes, until damper sounds hollow when tapped. Serve with meat, cheese, chutney and pickles.

Tip: A ploughman's lunch turns into something very special when freshly made damper replaces the bread. Choose a good quality cheese, a nice fruit chutney, your favourite dill pickles and cold meat of your choice. Or simply serve your damper in true Australian style with lashings of butter and golden syrup.