Anyone Know the Starter For Amish Friendship Bread Recipe?

A few years ago I received a bag of sourdough starter and a recipe. You added flour and milk to the mixture one day and kneaded the next for some period of time. When the recipe days were completed, you added sugar and oil and a box of Jello pudding among other things. After baking this loaf you shared the loaf and a bag of starter and the recipe with a friend. I'm looking for this recipe again.

Kris from Florida

Answers:

Anyone Know the Starter For Amish Friendship Bread Recipe?

AMISH FRIENDSHIP STARTER

• 1 c. sugar
• 1 c. milk
• 1 c. flour

Combine ingredients in a large, deep glass or plastic container. Cover lightly. If the container has a lid, leave it slightly open, or place a piece of cheesecloth over the container and secure it with a rubber band. Store at room temperature. Stir every day for 17 days. On the 18th day do nothing. On the 19, 20 and 21, stir. On day 22 stir and add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk. Stir again. On days 23, 24, 25 and 26 stir. On day 27, add 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk, and 1 cup sugar. Stir. You should have about 4 cups starter. Give 1 cup each to two friends and keep the remaining two cups for yourself.

Use one in Amish Friendship Bread recipe (which follows) and use the other to keep the starter going. When you give away the starter, include these instructions. How to keep a starter going: Do not refrigerate and do not use a metal spoon when stirring. On day 1 (the day you receive you starter) do nothing. Days 2, 3, and 4, stir.

On day 5, stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Pour mixture into large glass mixing bowl; cover lightly. Mixture will rise. On days 6, 7, 8 and 9, stir. On day 10, stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk and stir. Give 1 cup each to two friends, keeping one cup to make the bread and one cup for your starter.

Making starter using yeast

• Get your Sour Dough Batter from a friend - or start one - Mix together in a bowl
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast,
• 1/4 cup warm water,
• 2 tablespoons sugar,
• 1 tablespoon vinegar,
• 1 teaspoon salt and
• 1 cup all-purpose flour.

Cover and let stand 2-3 days. It will become bubbly and will have a sour odor. Separate into 3 portions and give 2 of them away to friends.

AMISH FRIENDSHIP BREAD

Do Not use any type of metal spoon or bowl for the mixing process. Do not refrigerate the bag.
If air gets into the bag, let the air out. It is normal for the batter to rise.

Day by Day (1-10)

1. on the bag will be the date when it was prepared, do nothing,
2. mush the bag,
3. mush the bag,
4. mush the bag,
5. mush the bag,
6. add 1 c. flour, 1 c. sugar, and 1 c. milk. Mix within the bag.,
7. mush the bag,
8. mush the bag,
9. mush the bag,
10. Mixing day!

In a large glass or plastic bowl combine: 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 1/2 cups milk, and entire bag of starter. Stir together with a wooden spoon or plastic spoon. Pour 1 cup starter into each of four 1 gallon Ziploc bags. Keep 1 Starter for yourself (or not) and give the others away to 3 of your friends along with a copy of these ingredients. Be sure to tell your friends which day the starter was made.

To the remaining batter in the bowl approximately 2 cups, add these ingredients and mix well with a non metallic spoon.

• 1 c. oil
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
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• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 c. flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 large box instant vanilla pudding (Small OK)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 c. nuts/raisins (Optional)

Grease 2 large loaf pans (or 5 small ones). Mix 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon and sprinkle into greased pan. Shake to coat all sides pour out and save the excess. Pour the batter into pans. Sprinkle saved cinnamon and sugar over batter. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. Cool until bread loosens from pan easily.

AMISH FRIENDSHIP BANANA NUT BREAD

• 2 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil, butter, or Crisco
• 1 rounded cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup light brown or white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon buttermilk powder (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons Myer's rum or Banana liqueur
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• 1/2 cup Amish Friendship Starter
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, walnuts, or macadamia nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine all ingredients. Turn out into a well greased and floured bread loaf pan, flattening the center slightly. When a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean (about 50 minutes later) remove from oven. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and run a butter knife along side of pan to free cake. Remove from pan and spread butter on the top of cake, if desired.

AMISH FRIENDSHIP FRUIT BREAD

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (or other) extract
• 1 cup Amish Friendship Bread Starter
• 2/3 cup corn or vegetable oil
• 2 cups mashed banana or chopped apples, peaches, or pineapple

Note: If using apple filling, add 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon ginger. Maple sugar, butter rum and walnut extract or flavorings are also complementary with apples or bananas, while coconut rum works well with pineapple.

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour two bread loaf pans. Combine all ingredients, being careful not to overmix. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until cake tester inserted into center comes out clean. Brush top of loaves with melted butter and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar when removed from oven, if desired.

QUICK BREADS:

To this 2 cups of starter, add the following ingredients:

• 1 c. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 eggs
• 2 c. flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. cinnamon

I also add chopped apples, bananas, zucchini, rhubarb, pumpkin (I add about 1/2 teaspoon cloves and 1/2 teaspoon allspice), fruit cocktail (drained), pineapple (drained), or raisins. I add 1 cup per loaf. The last time on my chopped apple, I added 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg with the cinnamon. I add the cinnamon as in the recipe above, before I put the fruit in. If you have 4 cups of starter, double this recipe. (If you take out 1 starter, you will have enough to double and have 4 loaves.)

WHITE BREAD:

Go through the procedure for 10 days. After taking out your starter to keep, you have approximately 4 cups of batter left. Do not add the ingredients for quick breads. This recipe is for 2 cups. If you have 4 cups, double this recipe.

Use approximately:

• 2 c. starter
• 2 c. potatoes, mashed (we use instant potatoes and mix according to instructions), add hot
• 1 tsp. salt (if you put salt in the instant potatoes, do not add this)
• 1/3 c. oil
• Flour (enough to make a soft dough)

Knead until smooth, place in bowl, cover with waxed paper and let rise. I set mine in my oven, which has a pilot light, and let rise overnight. However, this is not necessary, just let rise until double in bulk. Punch down and let rise again. Shape into 2 loaves and place in bread pan. Bake about 45 minutes at 350 degrees, or until golden brown.

Muffins also can be made. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Melt 1/2 stick butter; dip muffin in butter then in a mixture of 1/2 cup sugar, 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg.

Optional Additions: (1/2 cup each):
Raisins, chopped pitted dates, nuts, dried cherries, mashed ripe bananas, blueberries, coconut, canned pumpkin, chocolate chips, chopped apples, grated carrot, grated zucchini, drained fruit cocktail, or pineapple, or 1 Tbsp poppy seed.

Stir until smooth. Bake in 2 greased loaf pans at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until done. You can add a small box of instant pudding, OR a small box instant lemon pudding and 1 tablespoon poppy seeds, OR small box instant chocolate pudding, 1/2 cup chocolate chips, and 1/2 cup nuts, OR
1 small box instant butterscotch putting and 1 cup pecans.

NOTE: Wheat and white flour can be mixed as can white and brown sugar.

AMISH FRIENDSHIP APPLE BREAD

Mix together:

• 2/3 c. oil
• 3 eggs 2 c. flour
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• Then add: 2 c. apples

Pour 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes, until done. You can freeze the starter for future use. This last time I froze them. I took one out and just let it sit for the 10 days, not adding the extra 3 cups on the 5th or 10th day, I just stirred it each day. Then on the 10th day I followed the rest of the recipe and the bread turned out wonderfully, no difference and I don't have to find 3 people to give a starter too. Thought this might help anyone trying to find a friend to share with or if your friends all say no.

If you read up on sourdoughs and starters, you'll find that one of the reasons people mess with them is the health benefit of the naturally occurring yeasts. Unfortunately, most people these days have become too "domesticated", and so can't see how letting something go sour on its own can be any good. Thus, most "official" starter recipes call for addition of store bought yeast.

In the authentic way, you start with one cup each of flour, milk and sugar, stir it every day for the first 4 days, add one cup each of flour, milk and sugar on day 5, stir well; stir it every day for the next 4 days; add one cup each of flour, milk and sugar on day 10, stir well - and you should be ready to use the starter.

Traditional recipes ask to only use wooden or plastic bowls/jars/utensils. This is done because there is a possibility of the yeast's acidity acting on the metal and changing PH and messing everything up. The other important point to make, is that when you're making the starter, it should be left uncovered or covered loosely with cheese cloth or such. The starter needs airflow. Once ready, the starter could be kept in the fridge for about 2 weeks; to reactivate it, take it out and feed it with one cup each of flour, milk and sugar, stir well and leave at room temperature. I think that starter can be covered with a lid and kept in a Zip-Lock bag while refrigerated. For those who want to have their starter always available, keep it at room temperature, stir it every day. (04/23/2008)

By Babette