Damper recipe

I'm in the mood for writing, but I just have run out of time today. What with church this morning, a magazine design team meeting, baking for three things I had committed to providing snacks for this week, cooking dinner, having a rest, and (yet to come this evening) pricing items for CAJ's twice-annual bazaar, my day is gone.

Let me quickly tell you what I'm making to go with dinner tonight. It is a regular on our menu. We also make a modified version whenever we go camping. It's Australian Damper; very similar to what other countries call soda bread (you can probably help me with other names you might give it).

It's easy and makes for a good addition to a meal. We usually have it with bacon and eggs for dinner. But it also is great spread with butter and a sweet topping like syrup for dessert.

For our hungry family I make this quantity (and get some left over), but you can halve it or freeze leftovers for later:

4 - 4 ½ cups of plain flour (for Japanese flour you need the larger amount)
4 teaspoons baking powder
75g butter (I don't use this the camping)
1 ½ cups of liquid (this can be milk or water or half of each)

1. Rub butter into flour & baking powder mixture using fingers (or a pastry blender, which I love).
2. Add liquid and mix to a soft dough.
3. Shape into a log and place on oven tray.

4. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds (latter is optional).  
5. I bake at 200˚C for 15 minutes and then 180˚C for 20-25 minutes (until brown and sounds hollow when tapped). But you'll need to figure out your own oven. I have a fast, hot oven.