Amish Friendship Bread Recipe Collection, Starter, Variations and The Story

Amish friendship bread has a great story behind it, one of love and the special bond between mothers and their daughters.

In the past, the Amish mothers used to pass on the bread starter batter to their daughters on their weddings, so that they could, in turn, pass the starter batter to their daughters. Thus the starter would be passed from one generation to the next. Unfortunately, this tradition has almost died out except in some very remote Amish enclaves.

First, make a starter, follow our instructions and then make our delicious Amish bread recipe 10 days later.

Making the Amish Friendship Bread Starter

The starter is from an era when people made time to produce good food and maintained good friendships. It was during the time when people spent time making soap, candles and performing other traditional skills, but still had time to make this batter bread over 10 days. A time when modern technology didn't exist that was invented to save us time, but we spend so much time using it that we don't have any spare time!

So step back into time for simple living and make Amish bread and rekindle relationships. The bread recipe usually produces five cups of bread starter, which must be either used to bake bread, given away, or used to start a new cycle. A common suggestion is to bake one loaf of bread, give away three cups of starter, and to save the remaining cup for the next cycle.

The starter will last for years if fed every 10 days, and it will last for years this way, improving its flavor as it gets older. However, any starter that turns orange or pink in color and develop an unpleasant odor should be discarded.

For those of you how don't know how to make bread, this page is for you.

The Amish friendship bread starter makes a lovely gift in a jar. Place some starter in a jar, decorate and tie the Amish friendship bread starter recipe to the jar so that your friends can continue the process. Write the date on each jar as the date will be Day 1 for your friends.

This is an Amish Bread Starter recipe that has existed in an Amish family for generations. The starter is a substitute for baking yeast and can be used to make many kinds of yeast-based breads and shared with friends.

Amish Friendship Bread Starter Recipe Collection

Here are 2 Amish friendship bread starter recipes. The first and second recipes are very similar in that they are both made with the same ingredients over 10 days, but with different quantities.

Bread Starter Recipe 1

This Amish Friendship Bread Starter is made over 10 days. Share it with 3 of their friends, so that they can share it in turn with others. Take the time to make good bread and good friends!

5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups white sugar

1 1/4 oz instant yeast

2 cups warm water

2 cups milk

Day 1: Take 3 1/2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon of sugar and mix with the yeast in a large bowl. Slowly add the water. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and leave in a warm, draft-free place for 24 hours.

On Days 2, 3, and 4: Gently stir the starter about 10 times each day.

Day 5: Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk to the starter. Sit through and wrap with plastic wrap again. Return to a warm, draft-free place.

Days 6, 7, 8 & 9: Gently stir the starter about 10 times each day.

Add the remaining 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk to the starter.

The starter should be creamy in consistency and pourable, like a rather thick batter.

Amish Friendship Bread Tip: Never mix the bread batter with a metal spoon and never put the batter in the fridge.

Bread Starter Recipe 2

Another Amish Friendship Bread Starter Recipe that doesn't use as much flour to begin with.

1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
pinch of dried yeast

Combine all ingredients in a glass bowl.

Let the mixture stand uncovered overnight.  If your yeast is fresh you will see bubbles developing by the following morning.

If not, your yeast is stale and you will either have to wait a little longer, or if no bubbles appear by the second day, you will need to throw the mixture out and start again with fresh yeast.

On day 3 stir the mixture with a wooden spoon. Leave the mixture to rest for the next 2 days.

On day 6 add 1 cup flour,  1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk.  Stir.  Leave alone on the following day.

On day 8 stir with a wooden spoon. Leave alone on the following day.

On day 10 add 1 cup flour, 1 sugar, 1 milk. Stir.  Now divide the mixture into 3. Use 1 cup of the Amish friendship bread starter for your bread recipe, and then give the other 2 cups away to friends.

Recipe #1

1 cup starter

2/3 cup sunflower oil

3 eggs

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

dash of nutmeg                

1 teaspoon vanilla essence     

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup raisins and nuts (optional)

                                                                                          Loaves of freshly baked Amish Friendship Bread  

Combine ingredients in a bowl. Pour batter mixture into 2 greased, 8 inch loaf tins. Bake at 180°C for 1 hour, or until dry. 

Bread Recipe #2

1 cup oil

1/2 cup milk

3 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup starter

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 oz instant vanilla pudding

1 cup shelled walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup mixture of cinnamon and sugar 

extra butter, for greasing

Heat oven to 325 degrees F. and grease 2 loaf tins.

Combine oil, milk, beaten eggs, vanilla extract and starter.  Mix well.

Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda , cinnamon, salt, instant pudding and chopped walnuts.  Stir well.

Take half the cinnamon and sugar mix and sprinkle it into the bottom of the loaf tins. Add the bread batter and sprinkle the balance of the cinnamon and sugar mix over the batter.

Bake the loaves in the oven for 1 hour, or until cooked.

Bread Recipe #3

This is a bundt Amish friendship bread recipe.

2/3 cup oil

2 1/4 cups flour

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 baking soda

1 1/2 baking powder

1 1/2 salt

Mix all the above ingredients to 1 cup Amish friendship bread starter. Pour into greased and floured bundt cake tin and bake at 180 degrees C. (350 degrees F.) for 40 - 45 minutes until cooked.

As a variation on this recipe you could also add one 1/2 cup of the following ingredients:

raisins
cherries
nuts
apples
bananas

Amish Friendship Bread Variations of Recipe #1:

Amish Bread with Mashed Bananas

Reduce the oil by 1/3 cup. Add 3 very ripe, mashed bananas (skins must be going black). Omit the cinnamon.

Amish Bread with Apple

Add 1 cup of shredded apple to the mixture. Granny Smith or any other tart apple will work.

Amish Bread with Cherries

Add 1 cup of dried cherries to the batter mixture and omit the cinnamon.

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If you liked these recipes you can enjoy some more. For just $4.99 (American Dollars) you can access more than a 200 authentic Amish recipes. You will be able to download the Amish recipes as an e-book in .pdf format for a quick download from a 3rd party provider and secure network.


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We hope you will try out Amish Bread starter recipe and use it to try some of the Amish friendship bread recipes. Don't forget to share this with your friends and family.
   

More Resources of Interest:

Go from Amish Friendship Bread Recipe back to Country Recipes

Go to Amish Recipes

Go to The Amish Way of Life

Go to Amish Funerals

Go to Country Living

Go to Self-Sufficient Living

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