AS FAR AS  TASTY FAILSAFES GO, THIS RECIPE IS HARD TO BEAT!
In just about any discipline, you have to build a foundational understanding of the classics before branching out into anything too extravagant.

It don’t get more foundational than damper when it comes to camp oven classics. And adding cheese to just about any recipe is a failsafe improvement.

Kelly Griffiths has been reading the mag for a few years now and got in touch after whipping up a batch of the cheese and bacon potato wedges in our March issue’s cooking column.

With three teenage boys to feed, Kelly reckons the pot of cheesy fries was eviscerated in about ten seconds flat. With a team of competitive eaters in tow on family camping trips, Kelly’s become adept as whipping up crowd pleasing classics.

On her advice, and with the approval of the entire film crew on our most recent camping trip to Fraser Island, we present the last damper recipe you’ll ever need.

INGREDIENTS

Three cups of self-raising flour

80 grams butter

One cup of milk

200 grams shredded cheddar cheese

Half a teaspoon of salt

A handful of chives, finely chopped

METHOD

Combine your flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and rub the butter through until evenly mixed

Slowly add milk to your flour mix while stirring thoroughly with a mixing spoon

Turn your dough over onto a floured chopping board and knead for a couple of minutes

Return your dough to the mixing bowl, add in your chopped chives and shredded cheese and mix through

Pre heat your camp oven over the coals of your campfire. Add a layer of baking paper in the bottom and top with a spray of cooking oil before rolling your dough into a ball and dropping it into your camp oven

Put the lid on your camp oven and cook over the coals for 40 minutes, checking after 20 minutes or so. Your damper is done when golden brown on top

Serve slices or chunks of damper piping hot and topped with a little butter or more shredded cheese.