Soft, chewy, and delicious, these Amish Friendship Bread Oatmeal Raisin cookies are a twist on a family favorite. Resistance is futile, people. These chewy, perfectly sweetened, Amish Friendship Bread Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are going to be your downfall. You all know how much I love using the starter to make cookies. It's not only a great way to use up excess starter when you run out of people to give the starter to, but it makes a ton of cookies that are super giftable. No one in … [Read more...]
Your Amish Friendship Bread Starter Needs a Name
I'd like you to meet my Amish Friendship Bread Starter. Mel was born in 2018, had a couple of good rounds, and then I had to go on vacation. Mel was fed, divided, and then transferred to a Ziploc bag and popped into the freezer. About four months later, Mel re-emerged from her (yes, Mel is a she!) cryo-nap and has been bubbling on the counter ever since. What should you name your starter? Traditional sourdough bakers are known for naming their starters. After all, the starter is alive … [Read more...]
Irish Soda Amish Friendship Bread
This is a fast and simple Amish Friendship Bread variation based on Ina Garten's Irish Soda Bread recipe. Just in time for St. Patrick's Day! This Irish Soda Amish Friendship Bread recipe is super easy AND super fast, with no rise time or excessive kneading required. Everything goes into one bowl, making clean up a snap. Check out the video and if you decide to give this recipe a try, you'll have bread on your table in a little over an hour. The first thing to do is preheat your … [Read more...]
Amish Friendship Bread Vasilopita (Greek New Year’s Cake)
This is an Amish Friendship Bread variation of a traditional Greek New Year's cake called vasilopita, which has a coin tucked inside to yield good luck and blessings in the coming year. Infused with the heady scent of oranges and lemons, and topped with a glossy sugar glaze, a smattering of sliced almonds, or a dusting of confectioners' sugar, this is a fun and festive way to ring in the new year. Vasilopita is served at midnight on New Year's Eve in celebration of Saint Basil, who … [Read more...]
Amish Friendship Bread Crackers
Looking back, I can't believe we got this far without this recipe. I humbly present ... AMISH FRIENDSHIP BREAD CRACKERS! This recipe is super simple and let's you make a ton of crackers in any shape you want. This recipe is for an herb and sea salt cracker, but here are other variations you can try (you may need to tweak it to get the balance of add-ins you prefer): Rosemary and Olive Oil Crackers: replace the butter with olive oil, replace the mixed herbs with chopped dried … [Read more...]
Tutorial – Maintaining a Healthy Amish Friendship Bread Starter
If you've fallen in love with Amish Friendship Bread and the many recipes you can make with the starter, you may to want to keep an active starter on your counter at all times. Why some starters make it, and others don't From time to time, I'll hear from someone whose once-thriving starter has fizzled out. Once that has happened, sadly, there's no getting it back. When you've put a lot of time and energy into growing a starter, this can be super discouraging. Follow the steps below, and … [Read more...]
Amish Friendship Bread Starter (Potato Flake) with Video
Most of the recipes at the Friendship Bread Kitchen use the traditional Amish Friendship Bread Starter, but a few of our avid bakers prefer this Potato Flake Starter variation. Use it to make this soft, fluffy sourdough Potato Flake Bread. And yes, I made a video to show you how to make your own! If you're trying to figure out the difference between Amish Friendship Bread starters and potato flake starters, here's a 101 on Potato Flake Starters. The AFB recipes in the Recipe Box use … [Read more...]
Amish Friendship Bread Focaccia
It's time to grab the marinara! This Amish Friendship Bread focaccia is easy and delicious. I made this one with garlic, olive oil, rosemary, and coarse sea salt but you can top it with any combination of herbs, cheese, olives, sun-dried tomatoes or diced jalapeños ... it's totally up to you. This is a one-bowl recipe, meaning that everything goes into a large mixing bowl at once. If you own a stand mixer with a dough hook or have a bread maker, it's even easier. Here's a quick video of … [Read more...]
Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Amish Friendship Bread Scones
You'll love how fresh blueberries and lemon zest pair with ricotta cheese for the perfect crumb on these Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Amish Friendship Bread Scones. Today I'm super excited to feature a recipe by Kitchen Friend Stacey Doyle, who also contributed this wonderful Pistachio Cardamom Amish Friendship Bread variation to the Recipe Box. I love using 1 cup of Amish Friendship Bread starter to make scones, because you get a sweet and tangy hit plus a lovely rise. Stacey … [Read more...]
Tutorial – Good vs Not-So-Good Amish Friendship Bread Starter
How can you tell a good Amish Friendship Bread starter from a not-so-good Amish Friendship Bread starter? This is tricky for a number of reasons, because: every starter is different (i.e. if it's been passed on or if you've made it from scratch)every kitchen is different (drafty or warm, different wild yeasts in the air)ingredients may vary (i.e. milk can be whole, 2%, skim or non-dairy)maintenance may vary (you mix your starter daily or just giving the bag a small squeeze when you … [Read more...]
Tutorial – Separated Amish Friendship Bread Starter
Picture this: you wake up one morning and go to check your Amish Friendship Bread starter. And you see ... THIS: Okay, maybe that doesn't look so bad. Let's try another angle. Ew, right? Have no fear, it only means that your starter has separated, and it's your job to bring it back together. What IS that?! Looking at a separated starter for the first time, your brain may cease to function. It just doesn't look right, does it? You're convinced something is wrong and … [Read more...]
Tutorial – What Should Your Starter Smell Like?
What's that smell? Oh, it's your starter. People making Amish Friendship Bread for the first time often ask what their starter should smell like. Your starter should have a lovely, yeasty smell, like getting a whiff of bread rising in a bakery, times five. If you stick your nose into your bag of starter, you'll get a pretty heady hit of yeast. However, if you're noticing a smell that reminds you of nail polish remover or paint thinner, especially if your starter is looking a bit runny and … [Read more...]