There are two popular ways to maintain and store your starter: on the counter at room temperature or by freezing it. But did you know that you can also store your Amish Friendship Bread starter in your fridge? The counter and freezer options do well because you're either maintaining it daily (counter) or stashing it away and forgetting about it (freezer). Placing it in the fridge is an in-between option, and has its fair share of hassles. Here are a few: it's easy to forget about your … [Read more...]
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What Amish Friendship Bread Means
When I first started sharing Amish Friendship Bread recipes in 2009, I had no idea I would still be doing it 11 years later, or that in 2019 the Friendship Bread Kitchen would have 350,000 visitors from 210 countries and all 50 U.S. states, all in search of what to do with their 1 cup of Amish Friendship Bread starter. It was a fun thing to do, a way to share the growing list of recipes I'd come up with or found. I created tutorials, an extensive FAQ library, and personally replied to … [Read more...]
FAQ – What kind of container should I use to store my starter?
Choosing the right starter container for you Wondering what kind of container you should use to store your Amish Friendship Bread starter or sourdough starter? Not sure if you'll be keeping your starter on the counter, the fridge, or the freezer? Do you need easy and simple or are you all about aesthetics and pretty jars lined up in a row? I've got three great suggestions for you: bag, bowl, or jar. Over the course of a year, I will use all three, all for different reasons. Read on to … [Read more...]
FAQ – How often should I feed my starter?
Wondering how often you should feed your starter? Maybe you have one cup on your counter, maybe even two or three. Maybe your kitchen is cool, or maybe it's warm and toasty. Because every starter -- and every kitchen -- is different, the instructions for maintaining your starter may need to be tweaked to your circumstances. When it comes to sourdough starters, including Amish Friendship Bread starters, there's ONE RULE you must abide by. If your starter is hungry, feed it. This means … [Read more...]
FAQ – What is Starter Hooch?
If you wake up one morning and see that your Amish Friendship Bread or sourdough starter has separated or has an oily-looking film at the top, that's called hooch. Don't panic. Starter Hooch 101 Hooch is fermented alcohol that's released by the yeasts in your starter, and it's also a sign that your starter needs to be fed. Warmer kitchens will notice that the yeasts in their starters eat much faster than starters in cooler kitchens, which means you may need to adjust your feeding … [Read more...]
Easy Sourdough Starter (Made with Yeast)
If you're ready to dip your toe into sourdough baking, you'll need to make a starter. Here's a super easy, no-fail way to start your starter (sometimes called a "lazy" starter), and it takes less than 10 minutes. The trick is to use commercial yeast to kick off the fermentation process. After a few rounds of feeding, your starter will take on a life of its own and continue to thrive with the sugars in the flour and wild yeasts in the air. You'll be able to make traditional sourdough bread … [Read more...]
FAQ – How soon can I use my Amish Friendship Bread starter?
If you're making Amish Friendship Bread for the first time, you might be wondering exactly when you can use your starter. Do you really have to wait 10 days? Or your question might look like any of the following: "How soon before I can use my Amish Friendship Bread starter?"“What happens if I bake with one cup after adding ingredients on Day 6?""I got my starter from a friend who said I could bake with it anytime. Is this true?""Once I go through the 10-day cycle, can I take out a cup … [Read more...]
Amish Friendship Bread No-Knead Sourdough Bread
This crusty No-Knead Sourdough Bread is easy to make and uses 1 cup of Amish Friendship Bread starter and NO added yeast. Start early and you can have it on the table by dinner, or prep it a day or two before. By now, you've probably heard everyone raving about Jim Lahey's No-Knead Bread, which first appeared en masse at the New York Times Cooking website a couple of years ago. Everyone went nuts, and life was never the same again. The idea behind no-knead bread is that you don't need to … [Read more...]
FAQ – Can I substitute regular sourdough starter in place of Amish Friendship Bread starter?
Wondering if you can use a traditional sourdough starter in lieu of Amish Friendship Bread starter in any of our 200+ recipes? Wondering what the difference is between a regular sourdough starter and an AFB starter? I'll take the second question first: in a nutshell, a sourdough starter is made of flour and water, and an Amish Friendship Bread starter is made is flour, sugar, and milk. An Amish Friendship Bread starter also uses commercial yeast to kick it off (unless you received your … [Read more...]
If you’re running low on yeast, make a starter
If you're running low on yeast, you've come to the right place. I've got a great solution for you. MAKE YOUR OWN STARTER. An active sourdough starter is maintained with regular feedings, so you can bake anytime. If you have a strong starter, you won't need to bake with additional yeast. Traditional sourdough starters can be finicky, and this is no time to risk a fail. Amish Friendship Bread starter is considered "fool-proof" in that the use of commercial yeast to get it started ensures … [Read more...]
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Amish Friendship Bread Bakers
I am all for ease and simplicity, especially these days, and that includes how I spend my time in the kitchen. In addition to regular meal prep, I want my baking time to be drama- and stress-free. After a decade of making, baking, mistaking, and helping others on their Amish Friendship Bread journey, here are 7 essential habits I keep coming back to. Keep an active starter on the counter or in the freezer. The key to easy Amish Friendship Bread baking is making sure that you have an … [Read more...]
FAQ – Why do I need to use instant pudding in my Amish Friendship Bread?
Why do I need to use instant pudding in my Amish Friendship Bread? One thing that throws people off when it comes to Amish Friendship Bread is the inclusion of instant pudding as one of the ingredients. Here are questions I get about using instant pudding in Amish Friendship Bread recipes: "I received my Amish Friendship Bread recipe years ago and it didn't have instant pudding listed in the ingredients. Do I really need it?""Instant pudding doesn't seem very Amish?""I don't use … [Read more...]