Get the App

Recipes

Find a Recipe Blue Ribbon Recipes Pinch It!™ Feed Browse All Recipes

Editorial

Food Bites & Articles Videos What is a Blue Ribbon? Meet the Test Kitchen

Community

Member Recipes Groups Sweepstakes Contests Shopping

friendship bread starter

(1 rating)
Chelipepper avatar
Recipe by
chris elizondo
@Chelipepper
Chicago, IL

Friendship bread starter is commonly labeled as "Amish" however no records exist saying it actually started with the Amish - no matter the case, its a deliciously sweet sourdough batter starter and can be used in a ton of different quick-bread recipes. I like the 'original' but my family loves the zucchini-chocolate chip. Enjoy!

(1 rating)
prep time 10 Min

Ingredients For friendship bread starter

  • 1 pkg
    active dry yeast (or be adventurous and use 2 tsp instant yeast :p)
  • 1/4 c
    warm water (no hotter than 110 degrees, no cooler than 100 degrees)
  • 1 c
    milk, room temp
  • 1 c
    all purpose flour
  • 1 c
    sugar (i use turbinado)

How To Make friendship bread starter

  • 1
    In a small bowl, temper the yeast with the warm water and a pinch of sugar until it blossoms- about 10 mins.
  • 2
    Put yeast mixture into an approx. 1 1/2 quart glass or ceramic bowl, jar or jug. (Do NOT use metal it affects the outcome of your starter)
  • 3
    Stir the sugar into the yeast mixture, followed by the milk and then finally the flour. Stir until all flour pockets are gone. Batter will be lumpy and thick. Cover loosely with a papertowel and let sit for at least 12 hrs. This is considered day 1.
  • 4
    After 12 hrs, u may either refrigerate the starter or continue to leave it out. Care of the starter is listed below.
  • 5
    On days 2 thru 4 - stir starter with a wooden spoon. (ALWAYS use a wooden spoon to stir with) Day 5 - stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup room temperature milk. Days 6 thru 9 - stir only. Day 10 - stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup room temperature milk. Remove 1 cup starter and set aside to continue on with your starter. Put 1 cup each into 2 plastic bags and give to 2 of your friends along with this recipe and your favorite Friendship Bread recipe. (You can use the extra to bake with ..or u can discard the extra..when u run out of friends to give starter to, u can also freeze it in 1 cup increments to bake with at a future time) Using the reserved starter u put aside for yourself, begin the 10 day process over again treating this as day 1 again.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
ADVERTISEMENT