Amish Friendship Bread Starter…

The starter – 1) first after stirring, 2) 5 minutes after stirring, 3) 10 minutes after stirring.

I took the liberty of making some Amish Friendship Bread starter on the 8th, knowing it would take me ten days before I could make the bread. I will be making the bread on Sunday, as I am making the challah tomorrow, but I wanted to share some photos of the starter now because I think its neat!

This is what it looks like in the morning, before I stir it up in the morning -

Yes, extremely weird looking, I know. I think it looks kind of like a river of boiling lava, without all the red of course. :) Can’t wait to try the bread when its made.

Here’s the recipe I used for the starter, so you can make your own -

Amish {Friendship} Bread Starter
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
3 cups white sugar, divided
3 cups milk

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 10 minutes. In a 2 quart container glass container (I used 2qt glass measuring cup), combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or flour will lump when milk is added. Slowly stir in 1 cup milk & 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 Friendship 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).

Once you have made the starter, you will consider it Day One, and thus ignore step 1 in this recipe and proceed with step 2. You can also freeze this starter in 1 cup measures for later use. Frozen starter will take at least 3 hours at room temperature to thaw before using.