Amish Friendship Bread

I had been meaning to make this bread, for a very long time.  I have quite a few Amish cookbooks in my collection and I think every single one of them has a recipe for this amazing cinnamon cake or bread.

The variations are numerous, but the concept is pretty much the same.

I read through the books, also researched a bit online and decided to try the easiest one I could find, mainly because every other one I wanted to make, I seemed to be missing an ingredient.

For those that don't know, Amish Friendship Bread is made from sourdough starter, where after keeping a cup for yourself to bake your bread, you are supposed to share the other remaining cups with friends and family.

I ended up with 4 cups of starter and used one right away, placed the remaining in ziploc bags and froze the rest.  When I want to make a fresh batch, I pull one of the baggies out of the freezer and let it thaw on the counter.

Hope you enjoy this one :)

Amish Friendship Bread Starter

1 cup milk
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour

Day 1 - In a large glass, ceramic, or plastic container, mix 1 cup milk, 1 cup brown sugar and 1 cup flour.  Cover with a cloth or some plastic wrap and keep at room temperature, away from drafts.  (I keep mine on the kitchen counter, in the corner away from the window or door).
Day 2 and 3 - Stir well and cover back up.
Day 4 - Add another cup of milk, brown sugar and flour, mix well and cover again.
Day 5 and 6 - Stir well and cover back up.
Day 7 - Add another cup of milk, brown sugar and flour, mix well and cover again.
Day 8 and 9 - Stir well and cover back up.
Day 10 - Add another cup of milk, brown sugar and flour, mix well.  Take one cup of the sourdough starter to bake with.   At this point you can take another cup of starter and place it into a fresh container to start another sourdough starter, or you can take the remaining 3 cups of starter, place each in a ziploc bag and freeze for when you want to use it up.  

If you decide to start another batch, take one cup of your already done starter and treat is as day 1.  Follow the directions for the remaining days.

For the actual friendship bread, I looked up a few recipes and was very curious about one I found on youtube, which uses pudding mix in the batter.  I HAD to try it and it turned out so delicious, it is going to become my go to friendship bread.
 

Amish Friendship Bread

Youtube:  CM Coleman

1 cup Amish Friendship bread starter
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup oil
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 box (3 oz) vanilla pudding mix
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 Mix all ingredients together in a standing mixer, or in a bowl, by hand.

Preheat oven to 350 F. 

Pour into 2 greased cake tins, I used my 8 inch ones.  Sprinkle with sugar and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center, comes out clean.

This cake is delicious, fluffy and super soft.  It's wonderful with a cup of coffee or tea.

Enjoy!!!