I came for the carbs and stayed for the history, Cecelia. 😂 I’m now convinced William Bond would have made a killer food blog if he hadn’t been busy stealing muslin and sassing sentries. And I agree that damper and soda bread are cousins in the wild family tree of ‘make do’ breads.
My only regret is reading this on an empty stomach.
when visiting family in Australia they drove me to a bakery in the outback with fresh made bread, no idea what it was, but it was very basic and delicious and fresh. when teaching young children here we tried indigenous bannock bread, made from seeds of native plants, and when in a college course, I was talking about baking bread with my class, sitting next to a young Nigerian nun, who told me that she makes her bread at home in a heated hole in the ground, cooked in the method you mentioned. I em endlessly fascinated by people's resourcefulness and how these traditions and methods and recipes are passed down through generations. I hope for them to never be lost.
Ma used to make bread during the War in occupied Holland with fermented dried fruit water; raisins were best, apples not so good, anything more exotic was impossible to find. You put the fruit in the bottom of a jar, topped it up with water and waited for it to start to bubble. I think you had to burp the jar every so often, too, like brewing ginger beer. And another option was beer, which made delicious bread, but was considered a waste'of good beer by some! It's entirely possible the First Fleeters used beer, since 'small beer' (ie, low alcohol) was drunk instead of often contaminated water on board ships. The alcohol killed many of the germs, apparently.
There is a beer damper - so it makes sense that it originated with the pioneers. Tracking a recipe is so much fun. Especially when we all put our heads together.
I have eaten damper in Australia and the "baker" used beer as the leavening agent. This was 40 years ago and at the time, I was told, that it was how it was done in the outback. It was, at least, baked under hot ashes in a Wagga Wagga garden.
William Bond must have been a very hardy individual, to have survived the journey to Australia would have been an acheivement in itself, let alone several bouts of lashes.
A fascinating bread trail, like following Hansel and Gretel through a forest. The first nations people of Australia were so resourceful. Spinafex seeds are so small. They had to work hard for their daily bread.
I remember making damper in the girl guides and cooking it on a camp fire, maybe in an iron pot.
The wild grass seeds must have taken such dedication to collect - I look forward to finding out more about that - but I need to grow the grasses first! Or at least see them growing.
I love the history lesson along with the recipe. It always tastes better when you know the history!!
My family frequently raises their eyebrows when I say - but why, who started that, how did this come about - I love the history!
Well that was an interesting read - these days Australia exports criminals - how times have changed
Where do Australians export them to?
NZ
I came for the carbs and stayed for the history, Cecelia. 😂 I’m now convinced William Bond would have made a killer food blog if he hadn’t been busy stealing muslin and sassing sentries. And I agree that damper and soda bread are cousins in the wild family tree of ‘make do’ breads.
My only regret is reading this on an empty stomach.
Happy weekend!
I hope the little one is coming along.
He is not a sleeper.!
Oh oh 😯
Indeed.
when visiting family in Australia they drove me to a bakery in the outback with fresh made bread, no idea what it was, but it was very basic and delicious and fresh. when teaching young children here we tried indigenous bannock bread, made from seeds of native plants, and when in a college course, I was talking about baking bread with my class, sitting next to a young Nigerian nun, who told me that she makes her bread at home in a heated hole in the ground, cooked in the method you mentioned. I em endlessly fascinated by people's resourcefulness and how these traditions and methods and recipes are passed down through generations. I hope for them to never be lost.
Sounds great. I like skillet bread. Easy to make and freezes fairly well, so it’s easy to defrost and cook in the pan. Would like to try these!😋
Damper can be baked as a.loaf too. I like skillet breads as well. Especially when I am starving!
Ma used to make bread during the War in occupied Holland with fermented dried fruit water; raisins were best, apples not so good, anything more exotic was impossible to find. You put the fruit in the bottom of a jar, topped it up with water and waited for it to start to bubble. I think you had to burp the jar every so often, too, like brewing ginger beer. And another option was beer, which made delicious bread, but was considered a waste'of good beer by some! It's entirely possible the First Fleeters used beer, since 'small beer' (ie, low alcohol) was drunk instead of often contaminated water on board ships. The alcohol killed many of the germs, apparently.
There is a beer damper - so it makes sense that it originated with the pioneers. Tracking a recipe is so much fun. Especially when we all put our heads together.
I have eaten damper in Australia and the "baker" used beer as the leavening agent. This was 40 years ago and at the time, I was told, that it was how it was done in the outback. It was, at least, baked under hot ashes in a Wagga Wagga garden.
William Bond must have been a very hardy individual, to have survived the journey to Australia would have been an acheivement in itself, let alone several bouts of lashes.
The beer is interesting - we used to make beer batter for fish too! Though that is totally different! I will follow that trail - thank you Mad!
I think the beer is probably modern. A Soda Bread Damper sounds like something they would have cooked in the penal colony days.
Beer batter is a variation on tempura, which originally came from Iberia, not Japan!
Oh! Huh. Interesting. Iberia had all the best stuff!
A fascinating bread trail, like following Hansel and Gretel through a forest. The first nations people of Australia were so resourceful. Spinafex seeds are so small. They had to work hard for their daily bread.
I remember making damper in the girl guides and cooking it on a camp fire, maybe in an iron pot.
The wild grass seeds must have taken such dedication to collect - I look forward to finding out more about that - but I need to grow the grasses first! Or at least see them growing.