Apple & Cinnamon Damper

It's time to once again extol the virtues of traditional Australian damper – a simple bread made without yeast.

Historically damper has been, and I hate to say it, rather bland. Consisting of just flour, water, salt and if lucky, a little sugar, this bread sustained many a hardy outback explorer.

There's something about damper that makes it worthwhile experimenting with. It's an incredibly easy bread to make whether you're in a household kitchen or camping outdoors and with a few extra ingredients you can transform it into something really special.

Take for instance this apple & cinnamon damper fresh out of the oven, the smell of piping hot bread infused with fragrant cinnamon fills the air.

Serve the damper with butter, sliced banana and a dash of dark, maple syrup. It's truly heavenly. I usually find that the next day, the damper is even more delicious as the cinnamon and apple have had time to impart their sweet aromas.

For something a little more savory, try out a cheese & olive damper.

Photo: © S. Wongkaew (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc