Amish Friendship Bread

Amish Friendship Bread

Have you ever been given a starter of Amish Friendship Bread from a friend? It is said that only the Amish know how to create the starter (however due to 21st century technology the recipe can now be found online) but it is still fun to think it is an exclusive Amish tradition.

It was the first time I had ever done it and it was really fun! During my 10 day process of preparing the starter, I found some friends who wants to continue with my starter! It was really fun! The original instructions encourage you to keep a starter for yourself so that you can continue baking your friendship bread. When talking to my mom the other day, she told me that at one point she and her friends were making and passing around so much friendship bread that they came up with a bunch of new recipes to use friendship bread starter for! Stay tuned for a potential extra exclusive post with some of these new ideas :) Here is the recipe! Have fun!!

DO NOT use any type of metal bowl or spoon

DO NOT refrigerate

If air gets in the bag, let it out. It’s normal for the batter to ferment.

Day 1: Do Nothing.

Day 2: Mash the Bag

Day 3: Mash the Bag

Day 4: Mash the Bag

Day 5: Mash the Bag

Day 6: Add to the Bag -- 1 Cup EACH Flour, Sugar, and Milk. Mash the Bag

Day 7: Mash the Bag

Day 8: Mash the Bag

Day 9: Mash the Bag

Day 10: FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS BELOW

      1. Pour entire contents of the bag into a NON-METAL Bowl

      2. Add 1 1/2 cups EACH Flour, Sugar, and Milk

      3. Measure out 4 separate batters of 1 CUP each into a 1 gallon Ziploc bag. Keep a starter for yourself, and give away three others to friends with a copy of this recipe [Or find a different one online]. NOTE: You will bake every 10 days if you keep a starter. The bread is very good and is a great gift. It is said that only the Amish know how to make the starter [Myth?? ha] so if you give all of yours away, you will have to wait until someone gives you one back. If the recipe is not passed on the 1st day [The day after your day 10], be sure to make note of what day the bag is on.

BAKING INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. To the remaining batter, add...

3 eggs

1 cup oil (or half oil and half applesauce)- I used all oil only because I didn’t have applesauce but I want to try this next time!

1/2 cup milk

1 cup sugar [I used 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup honey]- Loved this alteration

2 cups flour

2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla - The original recipe called for 1/2 tsp. This alteration was kind of a mistake but I ended up really liking it!

3. Grease 2 loaf pans. Mix cinnamon and sugar in a separate bowl to sprinkle on the bottom of the loaf pans.

4. Pour batter evenly in the 2 pans (about 1/2 way full- Mine rose a lot!). Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar on top. Bake 1 hour or until it bakes all the way through. Cool until bread loosens from the sides