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Amish Friendship Bread

 Have you ever made Amish Friendship Bread?  It’s the perfect sweet bread for the Holidays.  Rich and moist and full of cinnamon goodness.  The real trick to making this bread is the starter.

Most often you will be given a starter from a friend {it is a friendship bread after all}.  The starter is a mixture of flour, sugar, milk and yeast that sits on the counter for over a week {similar to a sour dough I am told}.  If you would like to create your own starter, you can find a recipe here.

Once you have a starter there are a few important notes:
Do not use metal spoons or bowls for mixing.
Do not refrigerate.
If air gets into the starter bag, let it out.  It is normal for the batter to rise, bubble and ferment.
Day 1 ~ Do nothing with the starter.
Day 2 to 5 ~ Mush the bag.
Day 6 ~ Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk. Mix well.
Day 7 to 9 ~ Mush the bag.
Day 10 ~ Pour batter into a large, non-metal, mixing bowl.  Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Mix well. Take out 3 cups and place 1 cup each into three separate, dated, large Ziploc bags. Give one cup and a copy of this recipe to two friends.  Keep one starter for yourself.

To the remainder {a little over one cup} of the batter in your bowl, add the following ingredients and mix well:
1 cup oil*
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
*You may substitute 1/2 cup of oil and 1/2 cup of apple sauce or cooked pumpkin.  I always use applesauce in my friendship bread.

In a separate bowl combine the following dry ingredients and mix well:

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 {six serving size} box instant vanilla pudding*
1/2 tsp salt
*You may substitute 1/2 cup of flour for pudding mix.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.

Pour batter into two greased, sugared loaf pans. 
Top with 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 cup of sugar mixture.  Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

Cool until bread loosens from the pan {about 10 mins}.

 
The kids can’t get enough of this. 

My uncle in Florida wants me to send him a starter.  I’m not even sure if that is possible!  lol
 I usually serve one loaf right away and freeze the other for later.  If you keep a starter for yourself, you will be baking every ten days.  You can also put the starter in the freezer and take it out at a later date.  Just add three days to the start of your cycle.  Click here for more Amish Friendship Bread variations.
 
 
Enjoy!
 
Thanks for reading.
Linking to these parties.
about heather

Hello, I’m Heather!

I'm an active mom of twin boys who is always looking for opportunities to inspire creativity through fun crafts, do-it-yourself projects and delicious recipes. This blog has been an integral part of supporting my little family and I am so grateful to have you become a part of our journey! Let's create together... Read more...

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Oh I love Amish Friendship Bread. I always forget about it. I think I’ll make a starter this evening. You are right, it is a perfect Christmas sweet bread.

Frienship bread – how lovely! I would love to make some for Christmas pressies, would the ‘starter’ keep ok in a jar?

I have heard about this and find it fascinating that these ingredients just sit around and don’t go bad. Sounds yummy. I will have to try this sometime. I am a new GFC and FB follower from My backyard Eden. Vicky from Mess For Less

I have always heard of this, how neat! And yummy looking.

This bread is one of my FAVORITES. That reminds me that I told my friend that I would start a “starter” for us. Thanks for the reminder!! You should come and enter my Vanilla Bean Paste giveaway! https://eatcakefordinner.blogspot.com/2011/11/vanilla-bean-paste-giveaway.html

YUM!!! I make my bread with sprouted, soaked wheat flour (which makes it more tolerable for gluten sensitive people). I also use raw milk when making the starter, I don’t need the yeast then.
Oh, friendship bread is soooooo good, you photo is making me hungry!!