happytobehere
07-02-2008, 04:17 PM
My DDIL came over and was all excited about the "starter" she brought me. She had never heard of it before and a friend had given her some. She followed the instructions for 10 days and baked the bread and she and DS#2 loved it. So, I've been "feeding" my starter and I'm looking forward to making the delicious bread/cake. I'm on day 7 with mine. I did this many, many years ago and I'm sure a lot of you did as well. It's delicious, moist and I have the cake recipe also.
So for those of you who may have never heard of this or lost the recipes, here it is. :)
Amish Friendship Starter
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups warm water
1 pkg. active dry yeast
In a gallon zip lock bag, combine flour, water and yeast. Do not use any type of metal spoon or bowl for mixing. Do not refrigerate! Leave on counter. If air gets in the bag, let it out. It is normal for the batter to rise, bubble, and ferment. If you prefer, you can also use a glass or ceramic bowl (no metal) and stir it with a wooden spoon.
Day 1 - Mix up the starter in the bag
Days 2, 3, 4, & 5 - Mush the bag or stir with spoon
Day 6 - Add into the bag - 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk and mush the bag (This is called "feeding" the starter)
Days 7, 8, 9 - Mush the bag
Day 10 - Mush the bag and follow directions below
Pour contents of bag into a large (non-metal) bowl. Add:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
Measure out 4 separate batters of 1 cup each and put into gallon zip lock bags or containers, date, and refrigerate. Keep one for yourself and give the other three to friends along with a copy of this recipe.
(Another version) Keep one cup of starter to bake that day and refrigerate 1 cup of starter to use another time. Give the rest to 2 friends. If you keep an extra for yourself, every 10 days, remove the starter from the refrigerator and feed it the usual combination of 1 cup each milk, flour and sugar. Let it sit out on the counter for 2 days, then either bake it or divide it again among friends. Always save some for yourself!
AMISH FRIENDSHIP BREAD
Preheat oven to 325º. To the remaining batter in the bowl add:
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 cups flour
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 large box instant vanilla pudding
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped nuts, apples or raisins, optional
Grease 2 large loaf pans. Mix 1/2 cup sugar and 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Dust the greased pans with half of this mixture. Pour the batter evenly into the pans and sprinkle the remaining sugar mixture over the batter.
Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool until bread loosens from the pan evenly and turn out onto a serving dish. Serve warm or cold. You can also make muffins.
Should the recipe not be passed on to a friend on the 10th day, be sure and tell them which day the batter is at when presented to them.
NOTE: If you keep the starter for yourself you'll be making bread every 10 days. The bread is very good and makes a great gift.
AMISH FRIENDSHIP CAKE
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 tsps. vanilla
2 cups friendship starter
1 1/2 to 2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsps. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. fresh or ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tsps. baking soda
2 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Preheat oven to 350º. Grease & flour a Bundt pan. Combine oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla and beat until light. Add starter and beat until smooth. Blend dry ingredients together and fold into starter mixture. Pour into greased Bundt pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.
NOTE: In order to not forget or wonder if you have followed the instructions each day, write down what day you are on as soon as you finish that day's instructions.
When I made the cake, I added in apples, raisins and pecans to equal 2 cups. Don't put more than 2 cups in. I've never tried the chocolate version, but plan to. As far as I know, the chocolate version was not around many years ago when I first made this.
Variations: Just before baking, fold in up to 2 cups chopped nuts, diced apples, applesauce, or raisins. For a chocolate version, substitute 1/2 cup cocoa powder for cinnamon and nutmeg; add any other ingredients at your own discretion; possibilities include chocolate chips, minced orange peel, rum or mint extract.
So for those of you who may have never heard of this or lost the recipes, here it is. :)
Amish Friendship Starter
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups warm water
1 pkg. active dry yeast
In a gallon zip lock bag, combine flour, water and yeast. Do not use any type of metal spoon or bowl for mixing. Do not refrigerate! Leave on counter. If air gets in the bag, let it out. It is normal for the batter to rise, bubble, and ferment. If you prefer, you can also use a glass or ceramic bowl (no metal) and stir it with a wooden spoon.
Day 1 - Mix up the starter in the bag
Days 2, 3, 4, & 5 - Mush the bag or stir with spoon
Day 6 - Add into the bag - 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk and mush the bag (This is called "feeding" the starter)
Days 7, 8, 9 - Mush the bag
Day 10 - Mush the bag and follow directions below
Pour contents of bag into a large (non-metal) bowl. Add:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
Measure out 4 separate batters of 1 cup each and put into gallon zip lock bags or containers, date, and refrigerate. Keep one for yourself and give the other three to friends along with a copy of this recipe.
(Another version) Keep one cup of starter to bake that day and refrigerate 1 cup of starter to use another time. Give the rest to 2 friends. If you keep an extra for yourself, every 10 days, remove the starter from the refrigerator and feed it the usual combination of 1 cup each milk, flour and sugar. Let it sit out on the counter for 2 days, then either bake it or divide it again among friends. Always save some for yourself!
AMISH FRIENDSHIP BREAD
Preheat oven to 325º. To the remaining batter in the bowl add:
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 cups flour
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 large box instant vanilla pudding
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped nuts, apples or raisins, optional
Grease 2 large loaf pans. Mix 1/2 cup sugar and 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Dust the greased pans with half of this mixture. Pour the batter evenly into the pans and sprinkle the remaining sugar mixture over the batter.
Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool until bread loosens from the pan evenly and turn out onto a serving dish. Serve warm or cold. You can also make muffins.
Should the recipe not be passed on to a friend on the 10th day, be sure and tell them which day the batter is at when presented to them.
NOTE: If you keep the starter for yourself you'll be making bread every 10 days. The bread is very good and makes a great gift.
AMISH FRIENDSHIP CAKE
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 tsps. vanilla
2 cups friendship starter
1 1/2 to 2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsps. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. fresh or ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tsps. baking soda
2 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Preheat oven to 350º. Grease & flour a Bundt pan. Combine oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla and beat until light. Add starter and beat until smooth. Blend dry ingredients together and fold into starter mixture. Pour into greased Bundt pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.
NOTE: In order to not forget or wonder if you have followed the instructions each day, write down what day you are on as soon as you finish that day's instructions.
When I made the cake, I added in apples, raisins and pecans to equal 2 cups. Don't put more than 2 cups in. I've never tried the chocolate version, but plan to. As far as I know, the chocolate version was not around many years ago when I first made this.
Variations: Just before baking, fold in up to 2 cups chopped nuts, diced apples, applesauce, or raisins. For a chocolate version, substitute 1/2 cup cocoa powder for cinnamon and nutmeg; add any other ingredients at your own discretion; possibilities include chocolate chips, minced orange peel, rum or mint extract.