Amish Friendship Bread Starter Recipe

We are fortunate in my home town to have one of those fabulous Mennonite bakeries.  They have yummy doughnuts and cookies and breads. 

One of my favorite breads is the Amish Friendship Bread.  I used to make it all the time before I had children.  It does involve a little investment of time. . . 10 days dedicated to growing the starter for the bread.

I used to get a cup of the bread starter from my friend, Ms Geneva, at the Bakery when I wanted to make the bread.  But Ms Geneva doesn't own the Bakery anymore.  I've made the starter myself one time before with great results.  Here's the instructions for making your own starter:

Amish Friendship Bread Starter:

(Mix the starter in a glass or plastic bowl.  Do not use any metal containers or spoons)

Mix together 1/4 cup of warm water and a .25 package of active dry yeast.  Stir together to dissolve and let it sit for 10 minutes.

While the yeast is standing, mix together in a separate bowl . . . 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of sugar.  Mix the dry ingredients together well to prevent lumping when adding the wet ingredients in the next step.

Next add the yeast mixture and 1 cup of milk into the dry ingredients . . . stirring together well.

Cover loosely and let stand.  It will be bubbly.

This is Day 1 of the 10 days it takes to make the starter for the bread.

For Days 2, 3, and 4, all you do is stir the starter and cover loosely.

On Day 5, you add 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of sugar, and 1 cup of milk to the starter and mix together well.

For Days 6, 7, 8, and 9, all you do is stir the starter and cover loosely.

On Day 10, you add 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of sugar, and 1 cup of milk to the starter and mix together well.

At this point your starter is ready to use!  Yea!  After mixing the last ingredients into the starter on Day 10, you dip out 4 cups of the starter and put each cup of starter in a ziplock bag. 

You keep one cup of the starter for yourself and give 3 cups of the starter to friends with the recipe for the bread and instructions for feeding the starter.

You use the starter remaining in the bowl to make your bread.

The one cup of starter you kept for yourself . . . it can be stored in the refrigerator, or you can use it to make more bread, or you can begin the 10 day process again.  This day being Day 1 of the new process for the new starter.  The next day will be Day 2.

I made this starter a couple of days ago. 

I am on Day 3 of the process.  When I  get to Day 10, I'll post the Bread recipe.  Until then . . . I'll be stirring and mixing and waiting to make the bread! 

Check back to see the bread being made by . . .

                      the Ferrell boys and me!