Amish Friendship Bread Original Recipe

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Meghan

This is the same Amish Friendship Bread recipe that I last saw when my neighbor passed me a baggie of bread starter in 2007, and before that when I got it from a co-worker in 2003, and before that from a friend way back sometime in the 1990s. I have no idea who invented it, as its always been passed on via slightly blurry photocopies without any attribution. If you are reading this and you happen to be the original creator of this friendship bread recipe please contact me – I’d love to know who you are!!

The recipe works just fine and the bread that it makes is very good – its a sweet bread similar to banana or zucchini bread – and this time I made it exactly from the recipe (with one very slight variation). Next time, however, I’ll make a few more variations to see how it turns out. Mainly I think I’ll skip the pudding mix because I’m not sure what it even adds to the bread.

Thanks so much to Alma for sending some friendship bread starter my way. Also, I’ve re-homed two of my bags of starter but one’s still up for grabs so if I know you in real life let me know if you’d like some! If you’d like to make this bread and don’t have a friendly bag of starter handy, I’ve posted the recipe for the starter here.

Amish Friendship Bread

Do not use a metal spoon (using metal with your starter will cause an acidic reaction that will ruin it) and do not refrigerate the starter. Let air out of the plastic bag occasionally or it could explode.

Day 1: You received fermented batter (starter) in a one-gallon bag. Do nothing but place the bag on the kitchen counter. If you didn’t receive the starter on Day 1, go by the date on the bag.
Day 2: Squeeze the bag.
Day 3: Squeeze the bag.
Day 4: Squeeze the bag.
Day 5: Squeeze the bag.
Day 6: Add 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of milk to the bag and squeeze several times.
Day 7: Squeeze the bag and let some air out.
Day 8: Squeeze the bag and let some air out.
Day 9: Squeeze the bag and let some air out.
Day 10: Today is the day to make the bread and divide the starter for your friends. In a large non-metallic bowl combine the starter with 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 1/2 cups milk. Mix with a wooden spoon. Pour four 1-cup starters (don’t use a metal measuring cup!) into 4 one-gallon Ziplock bags. Write the Day 1 date on the bag (today’s date) and the Day 6 and Day 10 dates as well. Pass out to your friends with a copy of these instructions.

Ingredients
the remaining starter
1 cup oil (or 2 cups applesauce)
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
3 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 small or 1 large box instant vanilla pudding
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon
optional: 1 cup chopped nuts or 1/2 cup raisins, chocolate chips or blueberries.

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and grease two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans. Mix 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 3 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl and sprinkle it over the bottom of the two pans.

2. Add all of the ingredients to the remaining batter in the bowl and mix well.

3. Pour the batter into the loaf pans and bake in the oven for 1 hour. The bread is done when a skewer or cake tester comes out clean from the middle.

I’ve shared this post at these great link parties – check ’em out! Sew Much Ado, Creations By Kara, My World – Made By Hand, Sugar and Dots, Buns In My Oven, Fireflies and Jellybeans, House of Hepworths, Yesterday on Tuesday, Miz Helen’s Country Kitchen, Momnivore’s Dilemma, The Busy Bee’s, Chocolate Chocolate and More, Not Your Ordinary Recipes, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Rattlebridge Farm, A Little Knick Knack, Addicted to Recipes, Jam Hands, Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms,

Category: bake it, Recipe Tags: bread, friendship bread

15 Comments on “Amish Friendship Bread Original Recipe”

Jessica @ My World - Made By Hand
February 21, 2013

Hmmm….bread! Love it! Thanks for linking up at My World!

Jessica
myworldmadebyhand.blogspot.com
Diane
February 21, 2013

I love the sharing part of this recipe.
Amanda @ Coriander Lime
February 25, 2013

I haven’t seen this since I was a kid! My mom and her friends would pass this around, but we always knew it as Mennonite Friendship Bread (I suppose because Mennonites are more common in my area?), but it was the exact same concept. Thank you for bringing back a long forgotten memory. Looks like I have a tradition to re-start. 🙂
- Meghan
  February 25, 2013
  
  Its funny how it comes and goes, isn’t it? I had forgotten about it too until my husband came home from work with it.
Miz Helen
February 25, 2013

Hi Meghan,
I just love this bread and it is a wonderful way to exchange love with friends. Hope you have a fabulous week and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
A New Follower
- Meghan
  February 25, 2013
  
  Thanks – enjoy your week too!
Charlotte Moore
February 25, 2013

I made this bread for so long I can’t tell you how many loaves I made. I even sold it. I am not sure the recipe for the bread is the exact one, but it is similar. However, I used to use chocolate pudding to make chocolate bread, lemon pudding for lemon, coconut for coconut, etc. The chocolate and lemon were my favorite. Add poppy seeds to the lemon and you have lemon poppy seed bread. I do not think my amount of sugar, flour, and milk were any different on the day I baked it though. I think it was 1 cup of each every time. I made it in the foil pans and I think it was 3 pans it made. Never heard of the sugar and cinnamon on the bottom. I just sprayed my pans with Pam.
- Meghan
  February 26, 2013
  
  Wow! Thanks for all the info – I love the idea to vary the pudding flavor! To tell you the truth I don’t think the cinnamon and sugar on the bottom of the pan was necessary at all – in fact I think it stayed mostly on the pan, not on the bread.
Kristen
February 25, 2013

I love friendship bread and have been looking for the recipe to do with my daughter. Thank you for posting.

Kristen
http://www.chickyscafe.com
- Meghan
  February 26, 2013
  
  My kids love doing it – especially getting to squeeze the bag every day. You’ve got cute site, I’ve added you to my reader – thanks for stopping by!
Christi
February 25, 2013

I love this bread but have never made it myself. I’m excited to try it out! Found your blog through Melt in your Mouth and I’m a new follower!

Christi
http://the-not-so-perfect-momblog.blogspot.com
- Meghan
  February 26, 2013
  
  Thanks for stopping by – I followed your blog and am going to make your mongolian beef this week!
Maria
February 26, 2013

This bread looks delicious! I’ve always wanted to try to make Amish Friendship bread! I’ll have to try it out sometime! Yours looks wonderful!
- Meghan
  February 26, 2013
  
  Thanks – of course its not mine, its just stopped by here on its journey around the world 😉
Meghan
February 26, 2013

I wish I could send all of you a little bag of starter – after I ended up with one extra last time its coming out of my ears – I’ve got 8 bags to give away!