Amish Friendship Bread And Starter Recipe

Amish Friendship Bread is the gift that keeps on giving! This simple starter yields sweet, delicious bread every time! What is better than moist, sweet bread fresh out of the oven? Easy apple, zucchini, and lemon are more delicious sweet bread recipes for an anytime treat!

Simple Amish Friendship Bread Recipe

Amish Friendship Bread begins as a starter that, once developed, can easily be shared with friends and family to build a sense of giving and community. Unlike a sourdough starter, which requires meticulous feeding and growing conditions, Amish Friendship Bread starts in a ziplock bag and only requires a daily mash to develop. At around day 10, your starter is ready for either baking or gifting! It is a delicious way to connect with others. In my opinion, slowly-developed yeast always makes a better bread with a more defined flavor and texture. This, plus the sweet, cinnamon flavors added during the baking process make Amish Friendship Bread a winner! With just a few straightforward steps, I know that you will be able to develop a healthy starter and make delicious, sweet bread as well! The best part is you can share your amazing creation with neighbors, friends, and family to keep the delicious chain going!

Amish Friendship Bread and Starter Ingredients

Not only is this Amish friendship bread straightforward and simple to make, but it also utilizes a lot of basic ingredients! Here are the ingredients for the starter. For all measurement, amounts see the recipe card below.

Warm Water: Yeast activates better in warm conditions than cold, so we add warm water to the mixture.Dry Yeast: I use active dry yeast in this recipe.Flour: All-purpose flour works best in this recipe for a light, fluffy texture.Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness to the starter. Amish Friendship Bread starters are typically much sweeter than others.Milk: You will want milk that is 2% or higher in fat.

Amish Friendship Bread Ingredients

Using your friendship bread starter you will create the best bread that is sweet and savory in every bite. For all ingredient listings, see the recipe card below for the printable recipe card.

Friendship Bread Starter: You can use half of your starter and either save or give away the other portion.Vegetable Oil: Used to add moisture to your mix and bind fats together.Granulated Sugar: To add extra sweetness to your bread.Eggs: Binding agent that gives your bread structureVanilla: For flavor- I like using pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Used to keep your bread fluffy and light.Salt: To enhance flavors.Cinnamon: Adds a woody, nutty flavor that pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the bread.All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour works best for a light texture. Flour with a high protein content can make your bread too dense.

How to Make Amish Friendship Bread and Starter

An important thing to keep in mind is that no two starters are the same. Don’t be alarmed if your starter looks or smells a little different than your neighbor’s. They may have used different flour, milk, or just have completely different conditions in their kitchen. As long as you are consistent with mashing your starter and feeding on day 6, you should have healthy yeast ready to make delicious Amish friendship bread!

How to Make Amish Bread from Scratch

Appearance: A healthy starter should be light and milky with some bubbles present.Smell: Don’t be alarmed if your starter smells like acetone or alcohol. This just means it needs to be fed. A starter that is ready for baking should smell yeasty and bread-like.Mold: Mold usually develops if your starter is left in the fridge for too long without being fed. If you see any patches of pink, this means your starter is moldy and needs to be thrown away.Activating Frozen Starters: The great thing about Amish friendship bread starters is that they can easily be frozen and just as easily be reactivated. Even after years! Allow your starter to thaw at room temperature and then treat it as if it is day 6 and feed. From there, follow the rest of the steps of the recipe until it is ready for baking again.Using a Bowl Instead of a Bag: Instead of making your starter in a ziplock bag, you can make it in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. This works great if you are making larger quantities of starter.Adding Additional Flavor: Once you are ready to bake, you can customize your bread by adding things like walnuts, pecans, or dried fruit. You can also add a box of pudding to your bread dough for more flavor and fat content, resulting in very moist bread.

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All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.