Amish Friendship Bread Starter

Amish Friendship Bread is a sourdough starter that originated in Amish communities. It’s made by combining flour, sugar, and yeast and allowing the mixture to ferment for several days. The starter develops a tangy, sour flavor as the yeast activates and feeds on the sugars. To maintain the starter, you simply "feed" it additional flour, sugar, and water weekly. The starter can be shared with friends and family by doling out portions, allowing everyone you share it with to bake with the same lively sourdough culture. This unique starter produces tasty quick breads, coffee cakes, and other baked goods.

Ingredients:

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water (110°F/45°C)

1 cup sugar

1 cup flour

1 cup milk (2% or higher fat)

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Let stand for 5 minutes until foamy.

2. In a large bowl (glass is recommended — anything except metal as the dough can react with it), mix together the sugar, flour, and milk. Add yeast mixture last, stir until well combined. 

3. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let sit at room temperature until bubbly. 

10-Day Cycle

1. After your mixture is bubbly, pour it into gallon-sized zip-close plastic bags to make the rest of the process easier. Do not refrigerate — leave the sourdough mixture out at room temperature. (Consider this Day 1 of the 10-day cycle). Remember to let the air out if the bag gets too puffy over the next 10 days.

Day 2: Squish the bag.

Day 3: Squish the bag.

Day 4: Squish the bag.

Day 5: Squish the bag.

Day 6: Add 1 cup each of flour, sugar and milk. Squish the bag until it is mixed well.

Day 7: Squish the bag.

Day 8: Squish the bag.

Day 9: Squish the bag.

Day 10: Pour the sourdough into a glass (or other nonmetal) bowl. Add ½ cup each of all-purpose flour, granulated sugar and milk. Mix well with a wooden spoon.

Divide out 1 cup portions of the starter, placing each one-cup portion in separate zip-close plastic bags. You’ll get about 4-5 bags. 

Seal the bags, and give the starter away to friends along with the instructions, keeping one for yourself if desired. You can also freeze the portions at this point, if you need a break! The starter then goes back to Day 1.

Don’t forget to keep one starter for yourself!