Australian Cheese, Garlic and Chive Damper

Ingredients

2 cups self-rising flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tblsp cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
3 Tblsp grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 Tblsp chives, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water

Instructions

Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
Sift flour and salt together in large bowl.
Using fingers, rub in the chopped butter until it is the consistency of breadcrumbs.
Add Cheddar, 2 Tblsp Parmesan, garlic and chives; mix well.
Combine milk and water.
Make a well in flour and pour in all of the liquid, reserving 1 Tblsp for the glaze.
Mix quickly into a soft dough, using a fork or hands.
Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead lightly.
Press into a round, place in prepared dutch oven.
Glaze with remaining milk and water mixture and sprinkle with 1 Tblsp Parmesan.
Bake at 425 minutes for 20-25 minutes or until lightly brown.
Serve sliced with butter or olive oil.

Notes

Damper is an Australian traditional non-yeast bread often cooked in camp ovens. This recipe comes from an article written by Margaret E. Walker in Outback Camping via food.com. It is similar to a biscuit dough but shaped into a single loaf and cut into slices. Very simple to make and almost foolproof to bake in your dutch oven, it is easy to see why dampers are so popular. In my 10 inch dutch oven this baked with 10 coals in a ring around the base of the oven and the lid completely covered with 24-26 coals. In 25 minutes the damper was golden brown and cooked all the way through. Tangy and moist with a crispy, cheesy crust, this is a basic but wonderful bread for any time of the day.