Amish Bread Starter Recipes

AMISH FRIENDSHIP BREAD STARTER

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 10 minutes. In a 2 quart container glass, plastic or ceramic container, combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or flour will lump when milk is added. Slowly stir in 1 cup milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Cover loosely and let stand until bubbly. Consider this day 1 of the 10 day cycle. Leave loosely covered at room temperature.
• On days 2 through 4; stir starter with a spoon. Day 5; stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Days 6 through 9; stir only.
• Day 10; stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Remove 1 cup to make your first bread, give 2 cups to friends along with this recipe, and your favorite Amish Bread recipe. Store the remaining 1 cup starter in a container in the refrigerator, or begin the 10 day process over again (beginning with step 2).

HEALTHIER AMISH FRIENDSHIP BREAD STARTER

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in water in a small bowl. Let stand 10 minutes. Combine 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1 cup sugar in a 2-quart container. Mix thoroughly or flour will lump when milk is added. Slowly stir in 1 cup milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Cover loosely and let stand until bubbly. Consider this day 1 of the 10 day cycle. Leave loosely covered at room temperature.
• On days 2 through 4: Stir starter with a spoon. Day 5: Stir in 1 cup white whole wheat flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Days 6 through 9: Stir only.
• Day 10: Stir in 1/2 cup each all-purpose and white whole wheat flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk. Remove 1 cup to make your first bread, give 2 cups to friends along with this recipe, and your favorite Amish Bread recipe. Store the remaining 1 cup starter in a container in the refrigerator, or begin the 10 day process over again (beginning with step 2).

EASY FRIENDSHIP BREAD (AMISH BREAD) STARTER

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in small amount of warm water.
• Mix all ingredients together in a gallon-size ziploc bag. This is day one.
• Day 1 - Do nothing (This is the day you receive your starter, see date on your bag.).
• Day 2 - Mush the bag.
• Day 3 - Mush the bag.
• Day 4 - Mush the bag.
• Day 5 - Mush the bag.
• Day 6 - Add to the bag: 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk - Mush the bag.
• Day 7 - Mush the bag.
• Day 8 - Mush the bag.
• Day 9 - Mush the bag.
• Day 10 - Follow the instructions below:.
• Pour entire contents of the bag into a large non-metal bowl.
• For 4 starters: Add 1-1/2 cups flour, 1-1/2 cups sugar, 1-1/2 cups milk.
• For 1 starter: Add ½ cup flour, ½ cup sugar, ½ milk (Tip: Starter will form lumps - add flour and sugar only and stir until smooth then add milk gradually (it will take a lot of stirring.).
• Label four (or one), one-gallon Ziploc bags with "Day 1" and the date. Fill each of these bags with one cup of the mixture. These are starters for you to pass onto your friends and/or co-workers. If you'd like, you may keep one for yourself. Note: If you keep a starter bag for yourself, you will be baking bread every 10th day. If you don't keep one for yourself, you will have to wait until you receive another starter bag from a friend, as the Amish are the only ones who know how to create a starter. After filling the bags, there will be 1-1/2 cups of batter remaining.
• Preheat the oven to 325'.
• To the remaining batter add 3 eggs, 1-1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 cup oil (or ½ oil & ½ applesauce), ½ tsp baking soda, ½ cup milk, ½ tsp vanilla, 1 cup sugar, 2 cups flour, ½ tsp salt, 1 large box vanilla instant pudding, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 cup raisins (optional), 1 cup chopped nuts (optional).
• Note: It is easier to mix if you combine the dry ingredients (except for sugar and pudding) in another bowl then add it slowly to the batter.
• Grease bottom and sides of 2 large loaf pans or spray with Pam. Mix ½ cup sugar and 1-1/2 tsp cinnamon in a small bowl. Dust the insides of each of the pans with half of the mixture, making sure to cover the bottom and sides well.
• Pour batter evenly into the 2 pans and sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture over top of the batter.
• Bake for approximately 1 hour (until toothpick comes out clean.) Cool until the bread loosens from the pan easily. Turn onto serving dish. May be served warm or cold. Enjoy.

AMISH FRIENDSHIP BREAD AND STARTER

Steps:

• Place ONE cup each sugar, milk, and flour in large glass or plastic bowl.
• Cover lightly with plastic wrap and set on your counter at room temperature. Stir with a wooden spoon everyday for 17 days.
• On day 18 do nothing.
• On days 19, 20, and 21, stir.
• On day 22, add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk, and 1 cup flour, and stir again.
• On days 23, 24, 25, and 26 stir.
• On day 27, add 1 cup milk, 1 cup flour, and 1 cup sugar and stir.
• It's now ready to use to make the bread.
• Give away two cups of the starter to two friends, use one to make the bread, and keep one to keep the starter going. When you give away a cup of the starter, give these directions for keeping it going: Do not refrigerate; Do not use metal spoon or metal bowl; Do not cover tightly, cover loosely with plastic wrap.
• AMISH FRIENDSHIP BREAD: Mix oil, eggs, and vanilla with the starter mix.
• In a separate bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, vanilla pudding mix, and nuts.
• Add to liquid mixture and stir thoroughly.
• Pour into two large well-greased 9x5 inch loaf pans, or one Bundt pan, that have been sprinkled with a mixture of cinnamon, sugar, and flour.
• Sprinkle more cinnamon and sugar on the tops of the unbaked loaves (or cake). Bake at 325F for one hour or until done.

AMISH SOURDOUGH BREAD/STARTER

Steps:

• For starter, dissolve yeast in warm water. Mix with 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar or honey and 1 cup milk (lowfat or 2% milk is OK). This is day 1 of 10 day prep. Use a plastic or glass container.
• Leave starter on the counter covered, and stir daily.
• On the 5th day, add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar or honey (or combination) and 1 cup milk. This is called 'feeding' the starter.
• Continue to stir daily. On the 10th day, add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar or honey and 1 cup milk. Starter can now be divided and given away or frozen. I usually wait a day to bake after feeding starter.
• If you are not baking the next day, you can refrigerate starter, but bring to room temperature on baking day, or the night before, if frozen.
• If you receive a cup of starter as a gift, feed immediately and wait a day before baking, to give starter a chance to ferment, at room temperature.
• To bake: Place 1 cup of starter in bowl of mixer. Put mixer on slow speed using a dough hook, and add all ingredients. All ingredients should be room temperature.
• Add 2-1/4 tsps. yeast, 1 cup water, 1 cup milk, 2 tbls honey, 1/4 cup oil, 1 cup whole wheat flour, 2 eggs, 2 tsps. salt, approximately 6-7 cups white flour. You can add more whole wheat and less white, as preferred.
• Knead dough for 10 minute in mixer. Dough should be slightly sticky, but smooth and shiny and should mostly all be on the dough hook when done.
• Remove dough from mixer bowl to a floured board and knead by hand two minutes, shaping into a large ball. Oil inside of mixer bowl.
• Place dough back into bowl, swirl around in oil, and turn over so all sides are oiled. Press down, cover with a clean towel and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled.
• Punch down and divide into two loaves. At this point, 1 ball can be made into 12-14 rolls. Divide into even balls, (if you have a scale, about 2-1/2 oz. each) place on greased cookie sheet, pressing down to a flat disc. Brush tops with beaten egg white mixed with 1 tbl water and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds, if desired.
• Cover and allow to rise for 1 hour, or until double in size.
• Preheat oven to 375° and bake rolls for 15-20 minutes, until browned.
• For loaf of bread flatten 1/2 of dough into a rectangle, to remove bubbles and roll up to a log. Roll two sides under and place log seam side down in greased loaf pan. Brush top with egg white and sprinkle with seeds. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes. Remove from pan and thump bottom of loaf. It should sound hollow when done.
• You can bake 1/2 of dough and shape other half into a loaf, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze. When you are ready to bake, remove from wrap and place in greased loaf pan. Cover and allow to defrost and rise in a warm spot. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with seeds. Bake as usual.

AMISH FRIENDSHIP BREAD I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 2 (9x5 inch) loaf pans.
• In a large bowl, combine the Amish bread starter with oil, eggs, 2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix well. Pour into prepared loaf pans.
• Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes.

AMISH QUICK BREAD (USING A STARTER)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix by hand with a wooden spoon until smooth.
• Pour batter into 2 well-greased and sugared 9X5X2-inch loaf pans.
• Bake for about 40 minutes, or until done (You can test to see if it is done, by placing a wooden toothpick in the center of the cake, it if comes out dry, it's done).
• Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans.
• ~NOTE~If desired, add 1 cup chopped nuts and/or fruit such as apples, dates, cranberries, diced apples or raisins to each loaf.