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Amish Friendship Bread (+ Starter)

What is Amish Friendship Bread? It’s a sweet bread made with a sourdough/yeast starter. It’s a community bread that is passed on from friend-to-friend. It’s shared like a chain-letter.

Before this friendship bread, I had never attempted a sourdough starter. I was excited to learn just how easy and low-maintenance it was!

It’s truly one of the most heavenly-tasting breads I’ve ever made. There are a few recipes out there for Amish Friendship Bread, but I have tested and adjusted this recipe to perfection…and even included a Pumpkin Amish Friendship Bread recipe!

DON’T FORGET TO PIN IT!

P.S. I would LOVE to keep in touch! Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest to stay up to date with my posts! If you end up making one of my recipes, I would love to see it! Just take a photo, post it, and tag me @saltanddough

INSTRUCTIONS:

Day 1: Make the starter (see below) and place in the bag.
Days 2-4: Mash the bag daily.
Day 5: Feed the starter (see below). Mash the bag.
Days 7-9: Mash the bag daily.
Day 10: Feed the starter, then follow the bread recipe (see below), and gift to friends

I highly recommend that you go through the 10-day cycle and bake the bread according to directions. Then, if you want to make adjustments, you can with later batches. Note: Do not refrigerate starter. It needs to be at room-temperatue to rise and ferment.

STARTER (Day 1):

  • 1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
  • 1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees Fahrenheit)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup milk

Directions: Stir yeast into warm water and let sit for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir sugar and flour together. Whisk in milk, until mixture is smooth. Stir yeast mixture into flour mixture. When finished mixing, place mixture in a gallon ziploc bag and seal, releasing all the air. Store on the counter.

Don’t forget to do the following after making the starter…

  • Days 2-4: Mash the bag.
  • Day 5: Feed the starter (Feeding #1) — see below
  • Days 6-9: Mash the bag.
  • Day 10: Feed the starter (Feeding #2), Bake the bread, and Gift part of starter to friends

FEEDING #1 (Day 5):

Feed the starter: add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, and 1 cup milk to the bag and then seal the bag. Mash until ingredients are incorporated.

BREAD RECIPE / FEEDING #2 (Day 10):

Before you bake the bread, feed the starter: add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, and 1 cup milk to the bag and then seal the bag. Mash until ingredients are incorporated.

Next, reserve 1 cup starter to continue growing on your counter. Consider Day 10 to be Day 1 (restart the cycle) and repeat all the instructions starting with Day 2 tomorrow.

Then, remove 1 cup starter to use in the Amish Friendship Bread Recipe (see below).

To gift to friends, measure out 1 cup of remaining starter in a new gallon ziploc bag for each friend. Make sure you have saved enough for the bread recipe and for restarting the cycle (see above).

AMISH FRIENDSHIP BREAD RECIPE

  • 1 cup starter
  • 2/3 cup oil
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (whole wheat floor also works well)
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • + cinnamon sugar for topping

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease pan(s) well with nonstick spray or shortening. (Note: you can bake bread in 2 bread pans or in 1 cake pan (9×13). If possible, use a light-colored pan, as darker pans will make the bottom of the bread brown faster.)
  2. In a large bowl, combine starter, oil sugar, eggs and vanilla. Mix gently until fully incorporated.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Gently fold dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir until combined.
  4. Place batter in prepared pans. Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar.
  5. Bake bread for 35-45 minutes. Make sure to check the bread starting at 35 minutes, as each oven varies in heat distribution. Bread will be done when a toothpick comes out clean.

BONUS: Pumpkin Amish Friendship Bread…you’re welcome.

PUMPKIN AMISH FRIENDSHIP BREAD RECIPE

  • 1 cup starter
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (whole wheat floor also works well)
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • + cinnamon sugar for topping

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease pan(s) well with nonstick spray or shortening. (Note: you can bake bread in 2 bread pans or in 1 cake pan (9×13). If possible, use a light-colored pan, as darker pans will make the bottom of the bread brown faster.)
  2. In a large bowl, combine starter, pumpkin, oil sugar, eggs and vanilla. Mix gently until fully incorporated.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Gently fold dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir until combined.
  4. Place batter in prepared pans. Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar.
  5. Bake bread for 35-45 minutes. Make sure to check the bread starting at 35 minutes, as each oven varies in heat distribution. Bread will be done when a toothpick comes out clean.
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Saffron Rolls (Lussekatter) Swedish Sweet Buns

These buns are a Christmastime favorite in Sweden. Made on “Santa Lucia Day” on December 13th, lussekatter is a tradition for most people living there. Slightly sweet and unique in flavor, these rolls may become your family’s new favorite!

If you’ve never had saffron, you’re in for a surprise! A truly unique color and flavor. The first time I had saffron was when my parents picked some up in Morocco.

I’ve created a helpful step-by-step recipe (with pictures). I hope you find it useful!

Fun little tidbit. This year, our little Lucy (our 2 year old) got to dress up for Santa Lucia Day. She was dressed in the traditional white dress, red ribbon, and crown. St. Lucia’s Day is festival of lights celebrated in Sweden on December 13th in honor of St. Lucia (St. Lucy). Since my husband lived in Sweden for a few years, this was a really special day for us. (See photo below.)

P.S. I would LOVE to keep in touch! Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest to stay up to date with my posts! If you end up making one of my recipes, I would love to see it! Just take a photo, post it, and tag me @saltanddough

Saffron Rolls (Lussekatter) Swedish Sweet Buns

  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
  • 1 teaspoon plus 1/4 cup white/granulated sugar
  • One 1/4-ounce packet active dry yeast
  • 3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup of sour cream
  • 2 large eggs
  • Raisins

Glaze

  • 1 egg, beaten

Directions:

  1. In a small pot over the stovetop: heat the milk, saffron, and 1 teaspoon of the sugar together. Heat should be medium-low. Gently stirring, heat up the milk until it is steaming. Remove pot from the heat. Let milk mixture cool until it’s about 115°F, or warm to the touch. As it’s cooling, the saffron will infuse into the milk.
  2. After testing the milk, sprinkle in the yeast and gently stir in. Let sit and proof in the warm milk mixture for 5-10 minutes (until foamy).
  3. As the yeast is proofing, get your dry ingredients. In a the bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl): combine 3 1/2 cups flour, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, salt, and cardamom. Mix together.
  4. In the bowl of dry ingredients, add eggs, butter, sour cream, and the yeast milk mixture. Mix the ingredients until well combined.
  5. Switch to a dough hook of your stand mixer (or use your hands if using a large bowl) and knead your dough. Start kneading on slow speed. Continue kneading until the dough is slightly sticky to the touch. Add in 1 tablespoon of flour at a time, if you think you need more flour. The key is to make sure the dough doesn’t stick completely to your hands.
  6. Once the dough is kneaded, now it’s time to rise the dough. Shape the dough into a ball and place into a large bowl that has been sprayed with oil (or shortening). Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1-2 hours). The key to telling if the dough has properly risen is to gently stick your finger in the risen dough. If your finger indentation remains, the dough is good to go! If not, cover and let the dough rise longer.
  7. Gently punch down the dough and knead it with your hands. Now we are going to create the shape of the s-shape buns. Break off a piece and form it into a ball (it should be about 2 inches thick / 60-70 grams). Roll it into a snake-shape until it’s about 12 inches long. Curl the ends in opposite directions, toward the center. This will form the classic s-shape. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Continue to do this until all the dough is used up.
  8. Now it’s time for the second rise. Cover rolls in plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 20-30 min).
  9. Once doubled in size, remove the plastic wrap. Using a pastry brush, spread on the beaten egg for the glaze. Once glazing is done for all the buns, place 2 raisins on each bun, in the spirals of the “S”.
  10. Place in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (205 degrees Celsius). Bake for about 10-11 minutes, until buns are golden brown.
  11. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before eating.
  12. Makes about 12 buns (give or take).
Steps of Making Swedish Sweet Buns (Lussekatter)
Lucy dressing up for Santa Lucia Day
Sarah (me) with final product…whilst holding baby boy