Amish Friendship Bread

Amish Friendship Bread Starter (and recipe for bread)

I LOVE this bread!! I only make it about once a year, usually around Christmas time, but since it really goes well with coffee, I'm making some now! Ü

If you don't have a start from a friend to make the Amish Friendship bread, you can start your own. Here's How:

Amish Friendship Bread Starter

1 tablespoon Active Dry Yeast
2 cups warm water (need to be 110 degrees)
1 cup all-purpose flour  (I use pastry wheat flour that we grind ourselves)
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk

Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water in a glass bowl.   Stir in the remaining water, then add in the flour, sugar, and milk.  Beat the mixture with a wooden spoon until smooth. Cover with a lid or wrap.

Don't use metal spoons or bowls during the 10 day fermentation process!

I usually just put all this into a gallon size plastic baggie and keep it that way because I can seal it as well as mix it easier with the bag.

Don't think your starter has gone bad when it starts smelling like beer. It's supposed to do that. Your first batch of starter contains fresh yeast so it will get a fermentation going.

Do NOT refrigerate your starter!

Day 1- Begin your starter (this is the day you mix the above).

Day 2- Do Nothing

Day 3- Mash & squish the baggie for 30 seconds or so.

Day 4- Mash & squish the baggie for 30 seconds or so.

Day 5-  Mash & squish the baggie for 30 seconds or so.

Day 6- Add in 1 cup flour, 2 cups milk, and 1 cup sugar (squish the baggy to mix it well)

Day 7- Let the air out of baggy and squish again.

Day 8- Let the air out of baggy and squish again.

Day 9- Let the air out of baggy and squish again.

Day 10- Pour and squeeze the mixture into a big bowl.

Add in:

1 cup sugar

1 cup flour

2 cup milk

Put 1 cup of the mixture into 4 ziploc bags and give to friends along with the directions above as well as the directions on how to make the bread (below).

To make the Amish Friendship Bread:

With remaining mix, Add in:

1/2 cup milk

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

In a separate bowl, mix:

2 cups flour

1-1/2 cups sugar

3 tsp cinnamon

1 large or 2 small boxes of vanilla pudding

1 cup oil

Add this mixture to the bowl. Spray two loaf pans with oil spray.  Mix additional cinnamon and sugar and dust the bottom of the pan and top of the batter with it.  Divide the batter into the two pans, sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar, then bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

Makes 2 loaves.