Adapted from From FRIENDSHIP BREAD KITCHEN
If you love Amish Friendship Bread, having an active starter on hand is a must. It’s usually passed along with the recipe for the bread from a friend, but if you have to start from scratch here is the recipe.
Follow the 10-day instructions below for making and caring for your starter. On Day 10 you’ll divvy up your starter by measuring out 1 cup for every gallon-sized Ziploc bag and reserving 1 cup for you to bake with. You might end up with 4 to 6 Ziploc bags, depending on how active your starter is. You’ll then pass those bags to friends, neighbors and co-workers in your community and bake two loaves with your 1 cup.
If you only want to make Amish Friendship Bread once, you’re done. But if you want to be able to bake it whenever you’d like, save an extra bag for yourself and either toss it in the freezer until ready to use or start the process all over again, treating Day 10 as Day 1. The starter tastes better over time, so rather than making it fresh whenever you want some Amish Friendship, consider keeping a bag on hand.
Ingredients for Starter
- .25 ounce active dry yeast (or 1 packet)
- ¼ cup warm water 110° F/45° C
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
- In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 10 minutes.
- In a 2-quart glass, plastic or ceramic container, combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly with a whisk or fork.
- Slowly stir in 1 cup milk and dissolved yeast mixture.
- Cover loosely and let stand at room temperature until bubbly. Consider this Day 1 of the 10-day cycle. For the next 10 days, handle starter according to the instructions for Amish Friendship Bread.
Recipe Notes
The starter should be left at room temperature. Drape loosely with dish towel or plastic wrap. Do not use metal utensils or bowls. If using a sealed Ziploc bag, be sure to let the air out if the bag gets too puffy.
If you’re keeping an active starter on hand and baking every 10 days, consider giving your starter a happy home. Over the years I’ve used anything and everything you could store your starter in. Right now my favorite is the 9-cup Bormioli Rocco Fido Square Jar with Blue Lid (below). I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love it (hint: a lot). It’s around $10 on Amazon and leaves plenty of room for your Amish Friendship Bread starter to grow. It’s dishwasher safe and actually makes your starter look GOOD.