Amish Friendship Bread

Just in time for the holidays! I started my Amish Friendship Bread fermented base yesterday. It will be ready to bake on December 18. I'll share the starter recipe first. After your starter is ready, there are many bread recipes that can be used, however my favorite one has vanilla pudding in the mix. It makes the most delicious, moist muffins ever! These are so wonderful, and make great gift basket stuffers. They also freeze well. I usually bake several batches and wrap them individually, then put them in a ziploc bag and they keep for a long time. (well, I say that...ours never last long around here!)

For the starter:

1 (.25 oz) package active dry yeast
1/4 c. warm water
1 c. all purpose flour
1 c. sugar
1 c. milk

Step 1: In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 10 minutes. In a 2 quart glass, plastic, or ceramic container, combine the flour and sugar thoroughly. Slowly stir in the milk and then the yeast mixture. Cover loosely. Consider this Day 1. (I use a Corning Ware mixing bowl and cover my bowl with a plate).

Step 2: For Days 2 thru 4, stir the starter with a plastic spoon once each day.

Step 3: On Day 5, stir in 1 c. flour, 1 c. sugar, and 1 c. milk.

Step 4: Days 6 thru 9, stir once each day with plastic spoon.

Step 5: Day 10. Stir in 1 c. flour, 1 c. sugar, and 1 c. milk. At this point, you will have enough for 4 (1-cup) starters. Use each starter to make a batch of bread, or to give away to friends with instructions, or save 1 and start the process over again beginning with Step 2.


Now, for the actual bread recipe:

Amish Friendship Bread

Preheat oven to 325. Prepare muffin tins by spraying and sprinkling with cinnamon/sugar. I personally prefer to use paper cupcake liners, which I also spray and sprinkle.

To the 1 cup starter, add:

1 c. oil
1/2 c. milk
1 c. sugar
2 c. all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 small boxes instant vanilla pudding

Mix with mixer and poor into muffin tins. Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon/sugar. Bake 25-30 minutes. Remove and let cool for about 10 minutes, then wrap individually with plastic wrap or preferrably press-n-seal (plastic wrap is not good for my Christian testimony).

These are so good and definitely worth the work and wait!