Amish Friendship Bread Starter and 10 Day Steps to Fresh Bread

Winter time is a great time to bake bread.  One of my favorite old standby recipes is Amish Friendship Bread.  It is as easy as having the starter, feeding it and then on Day 10 bake and pass the starter on to someone else. I've been making this bread for years and it is so easy to do!

Have you ever been given the starter?  If not, here is an easy way to make your own starter.

This is the Amish Friendship Bread Starter Recipe. I didn't create this recipe. It is one that I have been using for years passed on to me by someone else as that is the tradition of this recipe. Use this recipe if you do not already have an established starter.  *IF* you already have a starter then that is considered your 1st Day!

As tradition has it, ONLY use plastic or wooden utensils and only glass or plastic containers.  Ziplock bags are great to use.  Do NOT use metal. The metal will react to your starter and discolor it. I tried it and it is really true. 

FRIENDSHIP BREAD STARTER (click to print recipe)

Ingredients:
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110°F)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 cup milk

Directions:
1. Use a measuring to dissolve the yeast in warm water for about 10 minutes. Stir well. After 5 minutes if you are not getting a lot of reaction, sprinkle in 1 tsp sugar.  This is my trick to give the yeast a good kick!

2. Use a medium glass or plastic bowl to combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or your milk will cause it to get lumpy.

3. Slowly stir in milk and  then the yeast mixture. Loosely cover the mixture with a lid or plastic wrap.  You can dump it all in a ziplock bag at this time, too.  This is Day 1 of the starter cycle, or the day you receive the starter. Follow the below daily schedule.

4. Once you have your starter establish you can bake with it, pass some on to a friend or freeze it!
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Click on each link below to get the daily schedule and see pictures of the starter on each day. Yours could easily vary from my photos. Feel free to take photos and share with me!

Day 1 - receive the starter (the recipe for the starter is above)
Day 2 - stir
Day 3 - stir
Day 4 - stir
Day 5 - stir
Day 6 -Add 1 cup each of flour, sugar and milk
Day 7 - stir
Day 8 - stir
Day 9 - stir
Day 10 - Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Divide into 4 containers, with 1 cup each for three of your friends and 1 cup for your own loaves. Give friends the instructions for Day 1 through Day 10 and a recipe for baking the bread. I will share some of these recipes soon!

Follow along as we take photos of our Starter and bake bread!

Check my Amish Friendship Bread Recipe Box all the tasty variation you can make with this starter!  Happy Baking, friend!

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