Beer damper

by Ed Halmagyi

Ingredients

  • 3¾ cups self-raising flour
  • 1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1½ tsp fine salt
  • 2 Tbsp butter or margarine, softened
  • 375ml unfiltered beer*

Instructions

1 Preheat camp oven over moderate coals, or preheat oven to 180°C. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large bowl, then add the margarine and rub with fingertips until just combined.
2 Pour in the beer and mix very gently, until a dough just comes together. Form into a loaf shape, then place on a pizza tray and set on a trivet in the camp oven, ensuring there are ample hot coals on the lid of the camp oven. If baking in a conventional oven, arrange the loaf on a lined oven tray. Bake for 30 minutes, until deep-golden. Cool on a wire rack.

* Unfiltered beers like Cooper’s sparkling ale add significant amounts of flavour to doughs.