Amish Friendship Bread
Amish Friendship Bread is like a delicious culinary chain letter passed on from friend to friend, spreading a little love from kitchen to kitchen. You would think from the name that friends are baking bread for each other right? Not quite.
Apparently, many dont give or receive the actual bread. Instead they give their buddies a bag or bowl of goo called a sourdough starter, along with directions for tending the starter and making the bread. The starter is used in place of baking yeast.
Basically, the goo sits out on the counter for ten days. Some days it needs stirring, some days it needs to be fed milk, sugar and flour, and some days needs nothing at all. At the end of the ten days, the goo starter is divided into four parts, one to bake with, and three to give away. One friend makes their bread, and then passes on a starter and directions to three more friends, and so on.
Most view Amish Friendship Bread as a blessing from a friend. Others see it as a curse, because they dont have time to make the bread, dont have friends to give the starter to and/or theyre afraid of breaking the chain. But one thing everyone seems to agree on, that the sweet cinnamon flavored bread is really tasty and that you really should give a sample of the bread to your friends when you pass on the starter!!
No one seems to know for sure how long Amish Friendship Bread has been around. One version of its history that makes sense is that the Amish in Europe gave Amish Friendship Bread to the sick and needy, and the starter was brought to America when they immigrated. Others say it was started or adapted in the 1970s by a Girl Scout Troop. Either way, it is once again gaining popularity so pass some along!
Heres the recipe and directions for the bread, and also one for the starter just in case you have not been blessed by a starter from a friend and want to start your own.
Amish friendship bread recipe
Do not use metal spoons or equipment. Do not refrigerate. Use only glazed ceramic or plastic bowls or containers.
You will need 1 cup Amish Friendship Bread Starter (from friend or see recipe below further down on this page)
Day 1: Do nothing with the starter.
Day 2: Stir with wooden/plastic spoon or knead bag
Day 3: Stir with wooden/plastic spoon or knead bag
Day 4: Stir with wooden/plastic spoon or knead bag
Day 5: Stir with wooden/plastic spoon or knead bag
Day 6: Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk. Stir with wooden/plastic spoon or knead bag
Day 7: Stir with wooden/plastic spoon or knead bag
Day 8: Stir with wooden/plastic spoon or knead bag
Day 9: Stir with wooden/plastic spoon or knead bag
Day 10: Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Stir with wooden/plastic spoon or knead bag. Place 1 cup each into three separate Ziploc bags or plastic containers. Give one bag/container and a copy of this recipe to three friends. Keep the remaining cup or so for yourself and follow directions below to make bread.
Preheat oven to 325° F (165° C).
Add the following ingredients to starter mixture. Mix well.
1 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
In a separate bowl, combine the following dry ingredients. Mix well:
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 (5 oz) box instant vanilla pudding
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup nuts, raisins or whatever you like (optional)
Grease two large bread pans.
Sprinkle the greased pans with a mixture of 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix and pour into bread pans. Sprinkle remaining sugar and cinnamon on top.
Bake at 325° F (165° C) for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.
Amish friendship bread starter recipe
You havent received a starter from a friend? Youre in luck ...you can make your own!
Ingredients:
1 package active dry yeast (.25 oz)
1/4 cup warm water (110° F/45° C)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 cup milk
Directions:
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 10 minutes.
In a 2-quart glass, plastic or ceramic container, combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly with a whisk or fork.
Slowly stir in 1 cup milk and dissolved yeast mixture.
Cover loosely and let stand at room temperature until bubbly. This is Day 1 of the 10 Day cycle.
This starter can be used to make all kinds of yeast-based bread.
Many say the starter CAN be frozen until youre ready to use it, just bring to room temperature before using.
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