Use this Amish Friendship Bread Starter Recipe as a base for many sweet breads, dinner rolls, muffins and other baked goods. Hints for storing and using up the sourdough starter.
Download the Amish Friendship Bread Starter instructions here.
Have I got a treat for you today! Classic Amish Friendship Bread Starter Recipe. Have you ever tried this sweet sourdough?
It’s one of those recipes that people seem to either love or hate. On one hand, you make a sweet sourdough that you have to keep dividing and using up, or passing out to your friends….or throw away. If you keep the starter going, it just…well…keeps going.
On the other hand, you make a sweet sourdough that is versatile and makes an amazing cinnamon quick bread. Quick bread that is so addicting that you can eat 6 loaves in a matter of 3 days.
Yeah….just please don’t ask. 🙂
Whether you make it this bread weekly, haven’t seen it in years, or are completely new to Amish Friendship Bread, my goal is to convince you to at least give easy sourdough recipe a try. I’m going to make it easy for you with hints! The recipe for the bread itself is coming soon, but first you need the starter.
How to Make Amish Friendship Bread Starter:
- Have Ziploc plastic bags (for easily storing the starter), glass bowls and wooden spoons on hand. For sourdough, you don’t want to use metal bowls or utensils. Sourdough is acidic and can dissolve some metals. It’s best to use anything but metal bowls and utensils.
- Write the directions right on the Ziploc bags using a permanent marker so you never have to go hunting for the directions.
- Make the starter recipe, then pour it into a Ziploc bag (with the directions written on it). You can also store this in a loosely covered glass bowl if you’d like. I just find it easier to use a Ziploc bag.
- While you are working your way through the 10-day process, store the starter at room temperature. If the Ziploc bag gets air in it, simply let it out.
- How much sourdough you end up with at the end of the 10 day process depends on how active your sourdough is. You’ll end up with about 5-6 cups.
- On Day 10 after you add last bit of flour, sugar and milk, separate out 1-cup portions into Ziploc bags (don’t forget those directions on the front!).
- At this point, you can give away some of those starter bags to friends along with the recipe and instructions so they can indulge in their own friendship bread.
- Keep a starter for yourself to continue the sourdough process (Day 10 is equal to Day 1), and make the Amish Friendship Bread with one of the other cups of starter.
- If you can’t find anyone who wants the sourdough starter, simply throw those 1-cup bags into the freezer until another time when you’d like to start the sourdough process our bake the bread. When you pull the sourdough out of the freezer, treat it as Day 1. Or just go ahead and use that cup to bake loaves of friendship bread!
You don’t have to feel like this is a never-ending recipe. Although it may seem that way, you can easily freeze the 1-cup sourdough portions at the end of the 10 days to make multiple recipes (that we’ll be sharing on our site soon!).
But this Amish cinnamon friendship bread? You’ll be wanting to make it. It’s the best in served warm with a slather of butter.
Although this sweet sourdough starter is very easy, you may have questions! Please comment below with your questions and I’ll update this article to answer your questions as you have them.
Download the Amish Friendship Bread Starter instructions here.
Amish Friendship Bread Starter Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup warm water about 110 degrees
- 1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup milk (2% or higher fat)
Instructions
- Pour the warm water into a small glass bowl.
- Sprinkle the yeast over the water. Let this stand for 5-8 minutes to allow it to dissolve.
- In a larger glass bowl (or plastic bowl. Don't use metal bowls or utensils for sourdough), mix together the flour and sugar with a wooden spoon.
- Stir in the milk and then the yeast mixture.
- Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow it to stand until bubbly.
- Once the mixture is bubbly, pour it into a gallon-size zippered plastic bag and seal. Do not refrigerate. Allow the sourdough mixture to sit out at room temperature. This counts as Day 1.
- Day 2: Mash the bag.
- Day 3: Mash the bag.
- Day 4: Mash the bag.
- Day 5: Mash the bag.
- Day 6: Add 1 cup of flour, sugar and milk. Mash the bag until it is mixed well.
- Day 7: Mash the bag.
- Day 8: Mash the bag.
- Day 9: Mash the bag.
- Day 10: Pour the sourdough into a glass (or other nonmetal) bowl. Add 1/2 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 zippered 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. The starter then goes back to Day 1.
- Keep one starter for yourself
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Debbie says
once the bread is baked, do you store the baked bread in refrigerator?
Julie Clark says
It is ok at room temperature for up to 48 hours.
Kay Harvey says
how long does the baked bread keep in frig
Ashley Reynolds says
Do you add cinnamon to bake? I remember this from years ago – smelling cinnamon. But your recipe doesn’t call for it. Am I missing it. Thank you 🙏
Julie Clark says
The cinnamon is in the bread recipe which is here: https://www.tastesoflizzyt.com/amish-friendship-bread-recipe/
Marlane Miller says
Can I use the starter on day 9 instead of 10?
Julie Clark says
I’ve not tried it, but I think it would still work. It may not have quite as much of a sour taste.
YVONNE PERRY says
Ok so I have several questions. I am on my 2nd go round of trying this FB thing…& am pretty sure that I missed only 1 day of mashing 5bags…& then had to feed or bake the next day if I remember right…well I fed the 5 bags & separated into 20 some bags (I do Farmers Markets so was hoping to use them up fairly quickly (or freeze any I couldnt) but they are flat with little to no bubbles now. Is there a way to revive them all so I dont lose all of my work & ingrediants? Is it all ruined? Can I start a while new starter from scratch & add the contents of these bags to the new?? They all small fine…my 1stvattempt all smelled like fingernail polish remover….this go round hasnt. I saw somewhere if u put a little flour in the starters they will work back up…I put about a tablespoon in each bag & mixed it in & nothing so far. If I cant revive these, it will be 40 some bags lost…so I’m hoping u have some magic u can share. TIA
Julie Clark says
I’m late to answering this but I think they would have been ok to use. They don’t always have bubbles.
Danielle Potts says
You didnt feed the starter enough :-/ you can still save them by adding at least a half cup of each, milk, sugar and flour to each of the bags 🙂 this will take away the acetone smell and then you will be on day 6 once you have fed them!!
Ladina says
So when you go back to day 1 do you also add more yeast or only the first time
Julie Clark says
Only the first time 🙂
Ladina K Trejo says
So on day 10 I add 1/2 cup of each ingredient bag up and hand off too friends they don’t add anything till day 6 they just mash ?
Julie Clark says
Yes!
Vicki B says
what if you are way down the line of the original starter with yeast. Doesn’t it get less and less as you divide it up every time?
Julie Clark says
No because you keep feeding it more.
Wendy says
How long & at what temperature do I bake this at?
Julie Clark says
This is the bread recipe: https://www.tastesoflizzyt.com/amish-friendship-bread-recipe/
Jamie Prater says
Is it ok if I refrigerated the starter after adding milk?
Julie Clark says
It’s probably ok, but if you want that sourdough taste, leave it at room temperature.
anne berkley says
I see your recipe says 1/2 cup of flour, sugar and milk. All other recipes call for 1 and 1/2 cups on day 10. Why the difference?
Julie Clark says
I’m not sure. This is the only recipes we’ve used.
Debbie says
I went with the standard 1 cup each on the 10th day which is the way we made it when my kids were little. The bread came out moist and delicious. Going to make a cherry almond bread next, Pistachio bread and butterscotch bread in the weeks to come. Would like more recipes besides breads that can be made using this sweet starter…
Sally says
Can butter milk be used?
Julie Clark says
I’ve not tried that. Sorry!
Debbie Blum says
Can I use Lactaid milk???
Julie Clark says
I’ve not tried that. Sorry!
Erin says
Just want to make sure I understand but may sound like a dumb question. Haha! On day 10 after adding ingredients to feed and separating into 4-5 bags of new starter- can I use this to bake with at this point or does the starter have to go through another round of ten days before it’s ready to use?
Julie Clark says
You can bake on day 10 🙂
Carol Rothman says
Can I use the ingredients on day 7 instead of day 6 if I forgot to do it?
Julie Clark says
Yes!
Dale says
I’ve had a starter in my freezer for several years, can I still use it?
Thanks
Julie Clark says
Yes!! See this tutorial for reviving the starter: https://www.friendshipbreadkitchen.com/tutorial-reviving-frozen-amish-friendship-bread-starter/
Spring says
Making starter today. Can I use 1 cup to bake bread today and store the rest?
Julie Clark says
I think it needs to sit for the 10 day cycle in order to have the best flavor.
Deborah says
Can I make sour dough bread out of the amish friendship starter? I want sour dough bread
Julie Clark says
We haven’t done that, but you can try!
Rochelle says
I just made the starter last night. I put it in a gallon ziplock bag and there was so much air in it this morning I’m sure it would’ve exploded if I got up a couple hours later! It popped and splattered a bit on me when I released the air. Not sure if this can happen sometimes and it’s still ok? The only thing I did differently was that I added a little sugar to the yeast and warm water mix since it mentioned that on the package itself…wasn’t sure it’d be a big deal but curious?
Julie Clark says
The sugar definitely feeds the starter. It’s ok. It’s just a very active starter!