Amish Friendship Bread Recipe

Amish Friendship Bread Recipe- like a chain letter for bakers....

I had the great fortune to get to try this yummy confection on Easter. My roomate was given a bag starter and I figured I would pay it forward!!! So I am sharing this recipe with all of you in cyberland.

I think this would be a great little gift for friends if you include a cute stamped recipe card along with bag of starter.

The sweet bread known as Amish Friendship Bread is a family favorite. It is a quick bread, meaning you don't need to let the bread rise. This sweet sourdough starter recipe makes enough to bake your own loaf of quick bread and to share with two friends, which is a traditional thing with this recipe.

Amish Cinnamon Friendship Bread

Important Tips-
It is normal for batter to thicken, bubble, or ferment

Day 1: You receive a bag of Starter ( the fermented batter in a 1 gallon ziploc bag.) Do Nothing. Just place the bag on the kitchen counter. If you did not receive a starter bag and want to create one from scratch- see Starter recipe at the bottom of this post.

Day 2: Squeeze the bag several times.
Day 3: Squeeze the bag several times.
Day 4: Add 1 c. of flour, 1 c. of sugar, 1 c. of milk. Squeeze bag.
Day 5: Squeeze the bag several times.
Day 6: Add 1 c. each flour, sugar, and milk. Squeeze bag.
Day 7: Squeeze bag several times.
Day 8: Squeeze bag several times.
Day 9: Squeeze bag several times.

Day 10: In a large, non-metal bowl, combine batter with 1 c. each flour, sugar, and milk. Mix with a wooden spoon. Pour four 1-cup starters into individual gallon ziploc bags. Give away starters to friends with this set of directions.

To the remaining batter add:
1 c. canola or vegetable oil
1 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
3 eggs
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 c. flour
1/2 c. milk
1/2 t. baking soda
1 large box of instant vanilla pudding
2 t. cinnamon

In separate bowl, mix 1 t. cinnamon and 3 T. sugar. Sprinkle into well-greased loaf pans and coat the sides with sugar mixture. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until done.

Variations:
Banana Bread:
1 box instant banana pudding
1 mashed banana
2 handfuls of nuts

Chocolate Bread:
1 box of instant choc. pudding
1 T. cocoa
2 handfuls of chocolate chips

Helpful tips-

The traditional recipe states not to use metal utencils to prepare this. If you use metal implements for mixing...it will not ruin your bread...just don't use reactive metal like aluminum.

If you miss days or don't follow all the steps...your starter will not be ruined. You can refridgerate it for months- if it turns pink it is spoiled and you should throw it out.

You can grease your loaf pans with PAM cooking spray.

To make your own Starter-

Simply put 1 c. flour, 1 c. sugar, 1 c. milk, and 1 T. yeast in a ziploc bag and let it sit on the counter. Call that Day 1, and you’re good to go.

Enjoy!