How to Make Amish Friendship Bread (Starter) and Sweet Bread

Amish Friendship Bread Starter is a sourdough starter that is shared with friends. A number of different recipes can be made with the starter, but the Amish Cinnamon Bread is the most common. Here's the recipe for the starter and the Cinnamon bread which is actually a sweet bread.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 1 pkg. active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup warm milk
• wooden spoons
• non-metal bowl
• These are the ingredients for the starter

1. How to make the starter: Soften active dry yeast with 1/4 cup of warm water for about 10 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon, not metal. In a non-metal bowl, combine the 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of sugar. Slowly add the 1 cup of warm milk and the dissolved yeast. Cover loosely and let stand. Mixture will become bubbly. This is considered Day 1 of the recipe.

2. On Day 2 for convenience, pour the batter into a gallon zip lock bag. Mash the batter in the bag.

3. Days 3-5 continue to mash the bag once a day. If air pressure fills the bag, let it out.

4. Day 6: Add 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of sugar, and 1 cup of milk. Mash the bag.

5. Days 7-9: Mash the bag.

6. 

   Day 10: Pour the entire contents of the bag into a Non-Metal bowl-do not use metal spoons. Use wooden or plastic spoons. Add 1.5 cups flour, 1.5 cups sugar, and 1.5 cups milk.

7. Measure out 4 separate batters of 1 cup each into one gallon zip lock bags. Date the bags. This is Day 1 of the starter. Put one bag aside for yourself. Give 3 bags away to friends with a copy of the recipe. They will leave the starter alone for Day 1. You made the starter on the first Day 1, but now the cycle has begun again. Everyone has starter, so Day 1 is the day to leave the starter alone.

8. To the remaining batter, add the following and mix thoroughly with wooden or plastic spoons: 3 eggs, 1 cup of oil, 1/2 cup of milk, 1 cup sugar, 2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract, 1.5 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 cups flour, 1 box instant vanilla pudding mix.

9. Grease 2 large loaf pans. In a separate bowl, mix 1/2 cup of sugar and 1.5 tsp cinnamon. Dust the greased pans with 1/2 the mixture. Pour the batter evenly into the 2 pans and sprinkle the remaining sugar mixture on top.

10. Bake 1 hour at 325 or until cooked through. Cool until bread loosens from pan.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not use metal bowls or spoons for mixing.
• Do not refrigerate
• It's normal for batter to rise or bubble.
• If air fills the bag, let it out.
• Remaining batter can be frozen.
• Sourdough starter can be used for other recipes.

Resources

• More Articles by Hapworth

[Karenc1972]

on 10/18/2009 Never heard of this before... thanks for sharing!

[jimmywalrus]

on 8/14/2008 Very nice idea, sounds tastey! Try some variations at momsfreerecipes.com

[Melanierose]

on 7/31/2008 Now this sounds good! Imma try! 5*

[oneloved]

on 7/31/2008 Good info! A friend of mine passed a bag of this starter on to me, but I think I screwed it up, because it molded. LOL! I'll have to try again!

[LilacGirl]

on 7/31/2008 Delicious, you're making me hungry.