How to Make Amish Friendship Bread - and Starter!
Amish Friendship Bread & Starter Recipe
This is a recipe for a true starter bread, like sourdough. Share it with your friends, family, and coworkers!
Please Note:
DO NOT use ANY type of metal spoon or bowl for mixing!!
DO NOT refrigerate! It's normal for the batter to rise and ferment.
You may need to let the air out of the bag or container occasionally. This is a totally normal part of the fermentation process, as is the sour smell. Be sure to reseal the bag after letting the excess air out.
Starter Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F)
Directions:
1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water for about 10 minutes. Stir well.
2. In a 2 quart glass or plastic container, combine 1 cup sifted flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or the flour will get lumpy when you add the milk.
3. Slowly stir in warm milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Pour into a 1-gallon plastic freezer bag. Be sure to write the date on the bag! The mixture will get bubbly. Consider this Day 1 of the cycle, or the day you receive the starter.
For the next 10 days, handle starter according to the instructions below for Amish Friendship Bread.
For days 1-5:
DAY 1 - (This is the date on the bag) Do nothing.
DAY 2 - Squish the bag (squeeze it several times).
DAY 3 - Squish the bag.
DAY 4 - Squish the bag.
DAY 5 - Squish the bag.
For day 6:
DAY 6 - ADD to the bag: 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk. Squish the bag.
For days 7-9:
DAY 7 - Squish the bag.
DAY 8 - Squish the bag.
DAY 9 - Squish the bag.
Day 10 - BAKING DAY!
DAY 10 - Do the following:
1. Pour the entire contents of the bag into a large NON-METAL bowl.
Add 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and 1 1/2 cups milk.
Mix with a WOODEN or PLASTIC spoon.
2. Measure out 4 separate batters, 1 cup each, into 4 gallon size Ziploc bags.
Give a bag, along with this recipe, to 3 friends and keep one bag for yourself. It makes a great gift! It's the tasty gift that keeps on giving!!
If you keep a starter, you will be baking Amish Friendship Bread every 10 days! YUM!
3. To the batter remaining in the bowl, add:
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups canola oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1&1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 large box or 2 small boxes instant vanilla pudding mix
Instructions
- In a separate bowl, mix 1 tsp cinnamon and 2 tbs sugar. Sprinkle half of it into the bottoms of 2 well-greased bread pans.
- Pour the batter in equal amounts on top of the cinnamon mix, and sprinkle the remaining cinnamon mix on top.
- BAKE at 325 for about an hour, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
** REMINDERS **
DO NOT REFRIGERATE BATTER! NO METAL SPOONS OR BOWLS!!
If the bag fills up with air, let it out and reseal the bag. It's a normal part of fermentation.
And yes, it's supposed to smell sour. ENJOY!!
