Amish Friendship Bread -

A few days back I received a gift from a sweet scrapbooking friend and I've been tending to it daily since that time... I'm looking forward to making some bread today!

 [This is what my mixture looked like on Saturday - 

all zipped up and in a milk glass mixing bowl on the kitchen counter.]

I remember passing around the starter for this bread with friends from church many years ago -- so it's been fun to give it a go again. I had a vague memory of making loafs of bread that weren't so sweet back then, so I did a little searching on the web and found the recipes below. 

The instructions and Basic Recipe I were given to me with my starter ten days ago - 

I had a piece of this bread during my little get-a-way and can say for sure IT IS DELICIOUS!  

If you live nearby and  want me to pass some on to you, just let me know - if you want to start your own look at the very last recipe --

Amish Friendship Bread Recipe

IMPORTANT:

-       DO NOT USE ANY TYPE METAL FOR BOWL OR MIXING SPOON

-       DO NOT REFRIGERATE

-       IF AIR GETS INTO BAG – LET IT OUT

-       [It is normal for the batter to rise and ferment]

DATE: ________       Day 1 - receive the starter (the recipe for the starter is below)

DATE: ________       Day 2 – stir / mush the bag

DATE: ________       Day 3 – stir / mush the bag

DATE: ________       Day 4 – stir / mush the bag

DATE: ________       Day 5 – Add 1 cup each flour, sugar and milk  / mush the bag

DATE: ________       Day 6 – stir / mush the bag

DATE: ________       Day 7 – stir / mush the bag

DATE: ________       Day 8 – stir / mush the bag

DATE: ________       Day 9 – stir / mush the bag

DATE: ________       Day 10 –  Pour into a non-metal bowl. 

[Here we are on Sunday - with my next starter in the bag, a cup waiting for the basic recipe of yummy cinnamon goodness, and the sour dough mixed and rising -

Loving my milk glass mixing bowls, btw.]

Add  1 ½  cup flour, 1 ½ cup sugar and 1 ½  cup milk. Mix well. Divide into 4 containers [zip lock bags], with 1 cup each for three of your friends and 1 cup for your own loaves. Give friends the instructions for Day 1 through Day 10 and the following recipe for baking the bread.

Basic Recipe I –

Pre-heat oven to 325* and grease two loaf pans or one bundt pan.

Add to remaining batter in the bowl –
3eggs
1 cup oil
½  cup milk
1 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 cups flour
1 large instant vanilla pudding [or 2 small]
Mix separately: 1/3 cup sugar & 1 ½ tsp cinnamon – dust teh greased pans with half of this mixture. Pour batter evenly and sprinkle the remaining topping on. Bake for approximately one hour. Cool before removing from pan.

 [Okay -- I used splenda instead of sugar in the batter and 3/4 applesauce / 1/4 oil instrad of the one cup oil - turned out pretty good - ] 

Basic Recipe II –

After removing the 3 cups of batter, combine the remaining cup of Amish Friendship Bread starter with the following ingredients in a large bowl:

2/3 cup oil
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Using a fork beat by hand until well blended. You can add 1 cup raisins and 1 cup nuts (optional).

Grease two loaf pans with butter, sprinkle with sugar instead of flour.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 45 minutes to 1 hour (individual oven temperatures vary). Cool 10 minutes, remove from pans. Makes two loaves of Amish Friendship Bread.

Basic Recipe III:

3 cups starter

1 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

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

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 - (5.1 oz) box instant vanilla pudding
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup nuts

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix and pour into two well greased and sugared bread pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

Miscellaneous Variations

Note: these variations require the basic Amish Friendship Bread batter

Apple Caramel - Add dried apples and caramel flavored instant pudding –

Lemon Bread – Add lemon zest and lemon pudding; add poppy seeds

Healthy - Use 1/2 c oil and 1/2 c unsweetened applesauce instead of 1c of oil. I also use sugar free pudding.
Blueberry – use vanilla pudding and 2c frozen blueberries

Amish Cornbread

1 cup Amish batter *
2 eggs
1-1/2 c. milk
2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup flour
1-1/2 c. cornmeal
Combine in large bowl. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.
Add:
1/4 cup oil
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
Mix well. Pour in well-greased 9" pan. Bake at 425 degreesF 25-30 minutes.

Amish Pancakes & Waffles

Pancakes

Combine in large bowl:
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
Combine in smaller bowl:
2 TBS oil
2 cups Amish batter *
1/2 cup milk (plus/minus 1/4 cup)
1 egg
Add ingredients of smaller bowl to ingredients of large bowl and mix on medium speed.
Spoon batter onto greased griddle.

Waffles

Prepare batter for pancakes except increase oil to 1/4 cup.

Sourdough-Style Biscuits

Dry Ingredients:
3-3/4 cups flour
1-1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 stick (1/2 cup) plus 1 TBS oleo/margarine
Blend dry ingredients with oleo until the oleo is well cut in.
Add:
3/4 cup milk or buttermilk
1-1/2 cups of Amish starter *
Knead, roll, and cut. Place on greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes. Makes 1-1/2 dozen biscuits. Happy Baking! Lynn Davis 

 [Sour dough - completed. (I used a glass loaf pan.) This is still way too sweet for us - we might eat it toasted with jelly, but most of it will be given away... Next go-round I'll make the bread with the biscuit recipe above and see if that tastes better to us - ]

Amish Sourdough Bread

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp salt
1 - 1/2 cups warm water
1 cup Amish batter
6 cups bread flour

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Oil bottom & sides of large bowl & put bread dough in. Let stand overnight at room temperature. In morning, punch dough down 4-5 times and divide into 3 equal balls. Kneed each ball 8-10 times and put into 3 greased and floured loaf pans. Brush tops with oil and cover with oiled foil. Let stand 4-5 hours or all day. (If dough has not risen well, put small pan of water on bottom rack in oven, heat to 200 degrees, turn off oven. Put dough on top rack for 1-2 hours.) Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. (Cover with foil after lightly browned.)

Amish Friendship Bread Starter

This is the Amish Friendship Bread Starter Recipe that you’ll need to make the Amish Friendship Bread (above). It is very important to use plastic or wooden utensils and plastic or glass containers when making this. Do not use metal at all!

Ingredients:

1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F)

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water for about 10 minutes. Stir well.

2. In a 2 quart glass or plastic container, combine 1 cup sifted flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or the flour will get lumpy when you add the milk.

3. Slowly stir in warm milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Loosely cover the mixture with a lid or plastic wrap. The mixture will get bubbly. Consider this Day 1 of the cycle, or the day you receive the starter.

For the next 10 days handle starter according to the instructions above for Amish Friendship Bread.