A few weeks ago I found a package at my door, which consisted of a chunk of delicious sweet bread and a zip lock bag of mystery goop. An email from my delightfully fun and friendly neighbor, Liz, revealed that the bag was filled with starter for Amish Friendship Bread. The instructions that came along with it included a ten day waiting period during which you primarily let the yeast-y starter sit after mashing it daily. On the sixth day, you add some additional flour, sugar and milk then go back to the waiting game. The most suspicious part of the instructions were to keep it outside of the refrigerator, even after the milk was added. Since I am not overly worried about food borne disease I followed along, ate the bread and I am here to write about it.
Liz had left me a note saying that she wouldn’t feel bad if I tossed the starter and wasn’t up to the process. What she didn’t know is that I am the PERFECT candidate to be a link in the chain of the Amish Friendship Bread. I love surprises, new things, projects, baking and connecting with people and this bread endeavor covered the lot.
After the ten days of properly baby-sitting my starter, I made the bread per the recipe Liz had emailed me. Halfway through, it instructed to remove four cups of the batter and package each in a zip lock bag to pass along to four others. I passed along three of them and kept the fourth for myself to start the process again.
With the second batch (pictured above) I made a few adjustments by adding raisins to one loaf, replacing some of the oil with applesauce and removing the box of vanilla instant pudding from the original recipe.
Here, I must digress. Throughout the instructions, there are numerous reminders to keep the chain going because, “only the Amish know the secret to the bread.” Now, I don’t mean to be a bad sport because I am loving this chain bread thing… but, is there a chance that the Amish are driving their horse and buggies on the side of the road to the nearest supermarket for vanilla instant pudding to add to their secret bread?
Anyway, the bread was scrumptious and I find myself now with a few bags of starter and wondering who to give them to. I have decided that since it doesn’t require refrigeration and because it is easy to mail things anywhere in the United States in two days, there is no reason this Amish Friendship Bread needs to stay in Chicago.
So, if you
- will be home for the next six days
- can receive mail
- are interested in a friendly bread chain
- live in the United States (sorry foreign friends, customs officials probably wouldn’t like Amish Friendship Bread crossing borders)
then leave me a comment letting me know YOU WANT IN! If I have more than two interested recipients, I will randomly choose a few names on Tuesday, email you for your address and mail you the starter along with the instructions and the recipe.
Let the games begin.
April 2nd, 2007 at 12:07 am
oh i would love ‘in’. :) haven’t participated in a bread goop swap in AGES and i do remember it being quite tasty.
April 2nd, 2007 at 3:55 pm
Sounds interesting, but the vanilla pudding part worries me.
April 2nd, 2007 at 7:04 pm
Oh I want in! Amish friendship bread is soooooo good I don’t mind the middle school usage of extra “o’s”.
April 2nd, 2007 at 7:56 pm
ok! I found you and I am up for some friendship bread (and homework!) And Rachel should not worry about the vanilla pudding.
April 3rd, 2007 at 5:36 am
Um, excuse me? I think the Amish DO use vanilla pudding! How do you know they don’t? Have you ever baked bread with an Amish person? I didn’t think so. Actually what is really funny is when I first got a hold of the recipie, the 6th day ingredient called for “flower”. Those Amish and their one-room school houses!!
April 8th, 2007 at 8:57 pm
I have gotten this from a friend and have to say it was awesome the first time around I tried it and most of my in-laws love it. My sister in law and I had done our batch and brought over for easter lunch today.
May 2nd, 2007 at 6:37 pm
I am just now looking up recipes for this-am really excited about trying it.I will pass this along to a dtr w/new bakery in Irving,Tx. Too bad I didn/t read this until 5/1/07.Would like IN. Thanks Nancy
May 18th, 2007 at 10:22 am
I was on the net looking for the recipe that I lost when I moved and came across the posts regarding the Amish Friendship Bread.
I froze my batter the last time I separated it about a month ago. It thawed and started bubbling soon after. So, I’ll be baking again tonight.
September 15th, 2007 at 9:50 pm
I made Amish Friendship Bread when I was in college years ago. I lost the starter directions. Please I want in.
February 19th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
I want in.
Thanks, Orna
February 19th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
I want in, Thanks Orna
March 6th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
I have been trying to look for the strater recipe forever. I was given a starter last year and did it twice and m neighbors have been asking about it since. So if you have it please share:)
March 18th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
I’ve been trying to figure out how to mail the starter- any idea? The main reason I can’t understand how it would be possible is because it has to be “mushed” every day. Thoughts?
April 4th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
i’m now making my friendship bread,honestly i don’t know why they call it bread, it’s more like cake without the frosting. it’s awesome. and yes, i live in NH and have gone to PA and done some cooking and made friends with some Amish familys, they are awesome people and do know how to put on a feast.
April 6th, 2008 at 1:44 am
I’m very interested in trying this… the only thing I was wondering about is: if you’re always “adding” to the starter but then “removing” some of it to pass on, aren’t there ingredients in there from “who knows when”? Oh well! Still interested! :)
June 30th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Wendy asked about ingredients from “who knows when”. The Short answer is Yes.
Amish Friendship Bread is a type of sourdough bread. Its premise is that small amount wild yeast already present in the flour will feed on the sugars present in the flour, the sugars in the milk, and the sugar itself. The byproducts of which are carbon dioxide bubbles that build up in the bag, and alcohol that ferments.
The yeast forms a symbiotic relationship with lactobacillus, one of the major bacteria responsible for yogurt and cheese. The lactobacillus feeds on the yeasts digestion products creating an acidic environment that only the yeast and lactobacillus can survive. This means that no “bad” bacteria are growing in your bread. Even though it contains unrefrigerated milk, and even though it IS going sour, it is not going “bad”.
Like San Francisco Sourdough, a good starter may have traces of milk, sugar, and flour from a century ago. That age doesn’t effect the “safeness” because of the previously stated symbiotic relationship between the lactobaccilus and the yeast.
Marsha asked about it needing to be “mushed” every day. The idea there is to distribute the growing sybiotic colonies evenly, gather the tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide together into a mass of collected air to be let out, and to mix back in any hooch that may have separated from the batter.
Not mushing the batter for days won’t ruin your bread. Letting it sit undisturbed on your counter every day except feeding day won’t harm it, nor will mailing it. Also, mailing it, it will be handled (the box it is in, actually), which will shake it some.
Not feeding it is worse than not mushing it. If you can’t feed it within a day or so of day 6, it can be placed in the fridge to slow the yeast down.
I’m already in a bread chain, so I’ll not be joining yours, but I hope some of this info helps some people with some of their questions.
August 1st, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Email me the recipe, cause it sure looks and sounds good..
COUNT ME IN!!
December 13th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
This was a great post.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:35 pm
i need the recipie with the vanilla starter in it do you still have it???
please???
thanks lynette
February 9th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
My mother did a variation of this when I was young. I remember it being loaves of bread, not the sweet breads that you are describing. Can loaf breads be made from this starter? I would love to be included, and would love to see various recipes on how to change the basic recipe. Thanks and keep on baking.
March 12th, 2009 at 7:33 am
Would love a copy.. Did you someone say they sent it US Mail? That was my question.. what if it goes from freezing new england to sunny FL?
March 12th, 2009 at 7:33 am
Would love a copy.. Did you or someone say they sent it US Mail? That was my question.. what if it goes from freezing new england to sunny FL?
July 7th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
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December 20th, 2011 at 10:41 pm
Is it too late to say “I want in”?
February 5th, 2012 at 9:12 am
I would love some amish bread! I made it in the past and even my picky kid eaters loved it.
April 19th, 2012 at 7:04 pm
What a great idea! I love making it and sharing it as well! Have you ever tried it with Butterscotch or lemon pudding? I did a taste test and made my first batch with vanilla pudding, which all of my family loved. Then the next batch I made with butterscotch and we loved it even better! I then made it with lemon pudding and since I am a lemon lover it was absolutely delicious. The consensus of my family is to use the Butterscotch pudding but all of them make it absolutely delicious!