Description
Amish Friendship Bread is a beloved sweet yeast bread made from a unique sourdough starter that is nurtured over 10 days. Rich, moist, and full of warm cinnamon flavor, this bread is perfect for sharing with friends and family, embodying a tradition of friendship and community baking.
Ingredients
Scale
Starter Ingredients
- 1 (.25-oz) package active dry yeast
- ¼ cup warm water
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup warm milk
Feeding Starter Ingredients (Day 6 and final preparation)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (divided)
- 2 cups sugar (divided)
- 2 cups milk (divided)
Bread Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup oil
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 (5.1-oz) box instant vanilla pudding (any flavor works)
- ½ cup sugar (for topping)
- 1½ tsp cinnamon (for topping)
Instructions
- Make Starter: In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water and let it sit for 10 minutes to activate. In a large glass bowl, thoroughly combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Stir in 1 cup warm milk and the yeast mixture. Pour this mixture into a ziplock bag labeled as ‘Day 1’ and gently squish it.
- Days 1-5: For each day from Day 1 to Day 5, simply squish the ziplock bag to distribute the starter and remove any excess air. No additional ingredients are added during these days.
- Day 6 Feeding: Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk to the starter in the ziplock bag. Seal and squish to combine and remove extra air.
- Days 7-9: Continue squishing the starter bag daily to help fermentation and redistribute the mixture.
- Day 10 – Baking Day: Empty the entire ziplock starter contents into a large bowl. Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk. Mix thoroughly.
- Reserve Starter: Set aside 1 cup of the starter mixture for future bread starters. Divide the remaining 4 cups evenly into 4 ziplock bags, label with the date, keep one, and share others with friends along with instructions.
- Preheat Oven: Heat your oven to 325ºF (163ºC).
- Prepare Bread Pans: Combine ½ cup sugar with 1½ tsp cinnamon. Spray two 9-inch bread pans with nonstick cooking spray, then dust them with half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly. Set aside.
- Make Bread Batter: In a large bowl, place the reserved 1 cup starter, then add 3 eggs, 1 cup oil, ½ cup milk, 1 cup sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp vanilla, 1½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, 2 cups flour, and the instant pudding mix. Blend all ingredients until well combined.
- Assemble and Bake: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared bread pans. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture over the batter. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes until golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Notes
- The starter fermentation process requires patience but is key to the bread’s unique flavor and texture.
- You can use any instant pudding flavor to alter the taste profile of the bread.
- Ensure all dairy ingredients are warm but not hot to properly activate the yeast.
- The bread is excellent served warm with butter or as a sweet treat for breakfast or dessert.
- Sharing starter bags is a traditional way to spread this delicious bread and foster community.
- Store baked bread wrapped tightly in plastic to maintain moisture.
