Recipe: Amish Friendship Bread Starter and Bread

This recipe is an old favorite that takes me back to my sophomore year in college where we had loaves of Friendship bread around the house regularly.

This starter makes use of the natural yeasts that remain in the flour and the kitchen. You can tell that you have a successful starter after the first twenty-four hours when there should be bubbles from the yeast's metabolic processes. The hardest part of this recipe for me is remembering to stir the starter.

Amish Friendship Bread Starter and Bread

Starter:

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Milk (Divided)
• 3 cups Flour (Divided)
• 3 cups Sugar (Divided)

Directions:

Day 1: Combine 1 cup Flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk in a 1 gallon plastic bag or a non-metal container of a similar size.

Day 2: Mash/Stir the Starter

Day 3: Mash/Stir the Starter

Day 4: Mash/Stir the Starter

Day 5: Stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk.

Day 6: Mash/Stir the Starter

Day 7: Mash/Stir the Starter

Day 8: Mash/Stir the Starter

Day 9: Mash/Stir the Starter

Day 10: Stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk. Measure out 4 or 5 – 1 cup portions of starter into 1 gallon Ziploc bags. Use 1 portion to make bread for yourself, 1 portion to start the cycle over at Day 1, and freeze or give away the rest of the portions. Frozen starter will take at least 3 hours at room temperature to thaw before using.

Bread:

Ingredients

• 1 cup Amish Friendship Bread Starter
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 2 (9x5 inch) loaf pans.

2. In a large bowl, combine the Amish bread starter with oil, eggs, 2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix well. Pour into prepared loaf pans.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes.