Try This Amish Friendship Bread Sourdough Recipe (2024)

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By

Carroll Pellegrinelli

Carroll Pellegrinelli

Expert baker and published author, Carroll Pellegrinelli shares her knowledge of bread baking and desserts.

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Updated on 02/5/23

Tested by

Colleen Graham

Try This Amish Friendship Bread Sourdough Recipe (1)

Tested byColleen Graham

Freelance writer and co*cktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

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Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 40 mins

Rise: 2 hrs 40 mins

Total: 3 hrs 40 mins

Servings: 20 servings

Yield: 2 loaves

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Amish sourdough bread, also known as friendship bread, is traditionally gifted. It uses a starter that can be used to make several kinds of yeast bread, including Amish cinnamon bread. As the baker, you would keep one cup of starter mix to create a new cycle of bread making, then give the remaining three cups of starter discard to friends so they can make their own.

The Amish friendship bread starter is sweeter than a regular sourdough starter and uses yeast to give it a jump start. It is then customary to feed the starter with flour, water or milk, and sugar or honey before removing a cup to use. A five-day baking cycle feeds the starter every day and uses the resulting mixture to bake a loaf or two of bread. The leftover mixture is then used to begin the next fermentationcycle.

Even if this is your first try at sourdough, don't be intimidated. Amish sourdough is one of the easiest sourdoughs to make, and the resulting bread is delicious as a side dish or for sandwiches.

Try This Amish Friendship Bread Sourdough Recipe (2)

Sourdough Starter for Friendship Bread Recipe

"This recipe is a great introduction to sourdough bread. Besides making the starter, the steps are just like any other yeast bread, so bakers should find it very familiar. The bread tastes great, with a nice crumb and balance of sweet and sour. It’s also filling, a nice side for dinner, and excellent sandwich bread." —Colleen Graham

Try This Amish Friendship Bread Sourdough Recipe (4)

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 (1/4-ounce) packageactive dry yeast, or 2 1/4 teaspoons

  • 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 to 115 F)

  • 5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour, divided

  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar

  • 1 cup friendship bread sourdough starter, at room temperature

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • Cooking spray, for greasing

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Try This Amish Friendship Bread Sourdough Recipe (5)

  2. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water.

    Try This Amish Friendship Bread Sourdough Recipe (6)

  3. Stir in 2 1/2 cups of the flour, the salt, sugar, andsourdough starter.

    Try This Amish Friendship Bread Sourdough Recipe (7)

  4. In another large bowl, combine 2 1/2 cups of the flour and the baking soda. Stir into the sourdough mixture. Keep adding as much of the remaining 1 cup of flour as possible, mixing with a spoon, until the dough is no longer wet, begins to follow the spoon around the bowl, and looks shaggy.

    Try This Amish Friendship Bread Sourdough Recipe (8)

  5. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Continue to knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes total. Alternatively, knead the dough in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Shape the dough into a ball.

    Try This Amish Friendship Bread Sourdough Recipe (9)

  6. Generously grease a large bowl with cooking spray. Place the dough in the bowl turning once to coat. Cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

    Try This Amish Friendship Bread Sourdough Recipe (10)

  7. Punch down and divide the dough in half. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

    Try This Amish Friendship Bread Sourdough Recipe (11)

  8. Generously spray two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans (or one large baking sheet for 6-inch round loaves) with cooking spray.

    Try This Amish Friendship Bread Sourdough Recipe (12)

  9. Shape the dough into thedesired shape. Make shallow X-shaped slashes with asharp knife over the surface. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

    Try This Amish Friendship Bread Sourdough Recipe (13)

  10. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400 F.

    Bake loaves until golden, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely on wire racks before serving.

    Try This Amish Friendship Bread Sourdough Recipe (14)

Tip

  • Starter mix can be frozen and used later, with the new cycle beginning after the starter has thawed. Additionally, it can be slowed to about half the normal fermentation rate when it is stored in the refrigerator instead of at room temperature.
  • Kitchen temperatures can fluctuate throughout the year, and this can affect the rising time. For the most consistent proofing, place the dough in the oven and turn on the light. Just make sure no one turns the oven heat on.

How to Store

Sourdough bread will stay fresh for a week, possibly a few days longer, and should be stored in a bread bin or paper bag. The bread can be frozen for several months as well.

Why is yeast added to sourdough bread that uses a starter?

Traditionally, sourdough bread uses a starter instead of commercial yeast, but some bread recipes (such as this one) add yeast as a supplement. Classic sourdough bread can take many hours to rise (often, two 6-hour proofing sessions), which helps the dough develop sourdough's signature tangy taste and chewy texture. By adding yeast, the rising time is significantly reduced, and, in turn, this softens the taste and texture.

Why did the Amish friendship bread sink in the middle?

As it cools, any bread may collapse, typically because the gluten structure is not strong enough to hold the bread up in the middle. Kneading the dough for too little time or letting it rise too long are two common causes. Another is a sudden change in temperature while baking; resist the urge to open the oven door, even for a quick peek.

Sourdough French Toast

  • Breads
  • American Food
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
161Calories
1g Fat
34g Carbs
5g Protein

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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 20
Amount per serving
Calories161
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g1%
Saturated Fat 0g0%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 245mg11%
Total Carbohydrate 34g12%
Dietary Fiber 2g5%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 0mg0%
Calcium 8mg1%
Iron 2mg11%
Potassium 58mg1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

  • bread
  • side dish
  • american
  • winter

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Try This Amish Friendship Bread Sourdough Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is Amish Friendship Bread the same as sourdough? ›

According to Elizabeth Coblentz, a member of the Old Order Amish and the author of the syndicated column "The Amish Cook", true Amish friendship bread is "just sourdough bread that is passed around to the sick and needy".

How do I know if my Amish Friendship Bread starter is bad? ›

If your starter looks discolored with a pink or green tinge, has mold (a no-brainer but worth mentioning), or if the sharp acetone smell doesn't go away, discard your starter and make a new one from scratch. It's sad, but so is food poisoning. The rule in the Friendship Bread Kitchen is: when in doubt, throw it out.

What should my Amish Friendship Bread starter smell like? ›

Your starter should smell like yeasty–sweet, tangy, and fermented. It reminds some people of beer. Fermenting batter is, well, fermenting batter so it may not smell like roses but it shouldn't smell bad.

Why can't you use metal with Amish Friendship Bread? ›

why can't you use metal when making amish friendship bread? They say use wooden or non metal, as the Amish always used wooden spoons. It's also said by using metal in the batter it could spoil the fermenting process of the batter as well. Some say it will even change the color, change the taste as well.

What is hillbilly bread? ›

Description. A soft bread for those who like the smooth texture of a white bread and the health benefits of multigrain, Hillbilly Bread is the best of both worlds. This multigrain bread has 1.5 grams of whole grains in two slices! Make healthier sandwiches that your kids will love to eat, and you'll love to serve.

What is the best flour for sourdough bread? ›

Whole wheat flour is an excellent choice for creating a sourdough starter due to its nutrient-rich composition and potential for fostering a robust microbial community. However, it's important to note that the quality of whole wheat flour can vary between brands.

What makes sourdough bread more flavorful? ›

Longer fermentation

As your dough proofs, the good bacteria eats up sugars and starches in the flour. This decreases the sweet undertone and creates a more sour undertone. The longer you ferment, the more starches and sugars the bacteria eats, and the more sour your bread will be.

What is the best flour for sourdough starter? ›

The best flour blend for creating a new sourdough starter is 50% whole-meal flour (whole wheat or whole rye) and 50% bread flour or all-purpose flour. I recommend a 50/50 mix of whole wheat flour and bread flour. Why do you need to use these two types of flour?

Should my Amish Friendship Bread starter smell like alcohol? ›

As fermentation gasses build up in the container , let it out or the bag will go BOOM! It is normal for the batter to rise, bubble, ferment and smell like good beer or alcohol. Smelling like nasty feet is bad and means that your starter died and you need to toss it an start again.

Why does my friendship bread starter smell like alcohol? ›

A layer of grey liquid on top of sourdough starter usually occurs after the yeasts and bacteria have consumed the food in a starter. A few hours at room temperature may be enough time for the starter to consume the food fed to it and to show a layer of hooch (alcohol).

Does Amish Friendship Bread need to be refrigerated after baking? ›

Does Amish friendship bread need to be refrigerated? No. After the bread has cooled completely, you can store it like any other baked good in an airtight container at room temperature for several days, or wrap it tightly and freeze it for later.

What is a bad smell for sourdough starter? ›

The only smell to be concerned about is if your starter smells like mold. Once your starter goes moldy it is unrecoverable, but this is very uncommon. A healthy starter will resist mold growth.

What happens if I forgot to discard starter before feeding? ›

If you didn't discard a portion of your starter each time you feed it, two things would happen: Your starter would grow to an enormous, unmanageable size. Your starter would likely become more and more inhospitable to the bacteria and yeast we want as the mixture would become ever more acidic.

What happens if you forgot to feed your sourdough starter for a day? ›

If you missed one feeding

Don't worry — your starter is fine. Just pick back up with your typical routine and your starter will settle in easily. To be safe, give it one or two feedings before you bake with it to make sure it's at full strength.

What is another name for sourdough bread? ›

You might also see the term “levain bread” or “pain au levain,” which are other names for sourdough bread. Because the term levain is French for leaven, which is almost always taken to mean naturally fermented bread, the term levain is often used synonymously with sourdough.

What is a good substitute for sourdough starter? ›

Using yogurt and instant yeast as alternatives to a traditional sourdough starter can be an effective and convenient method for achieving bread with some sourdough characteristics without the complexities of maintaining a live starter.

What is sourdough bread called? ›

Sourdough bread is known in almost every country around the world. Each culture has a different name for it. The French call it levain, Italians call it lievito madre or lievito naturale, the Germans call it sauerteig, in Denmark it's called surdej, the Spanish call it masa madre, and the Russians say zakvaska.

Who makes Cracker Barrel sourdough bread? ›

Today, Bay's Sour Dough Bread is sold and served in all the Cracker Barrel Restaurants across the United States. The Bay's Southern Bread Company Museum contains a wood cook stove and many baking items and artifacts Mr.

References

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