Amish Friendship Bread

A delicious Amish Friendship Bread recipe covered in a cinnamon sugar mix. The starter recipe is included so you can share with friends!

We love breakfast breads! Our Sour Cream Banana Bread recipe gets amazing reviews. It’s so moist and flavorful. Or try this Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf for a burst of citrus flavor!

Loaf of cinnamon sugar crusted amish friendship bread on a white platter with a few slices cut.


What is Amish Friendship Bread

Have you ever shared a bread starter with a friend?

This Amish Bread recipe is based on a tradition of passing a bread starter (a living yeast mix that provides the leavening) from person to person.

That’s how it gets the name “Friendship Bread“. You make a batch of delicious Amish bread then pass the starter along to the next one in line.

I’ve been baking versions of this Friendship Bread for as long as I can remember. It very well may have been the first homemade bread I ever baked!

Eaten fresh from the oven or toasted and slathered with butter,  a slice of Friendship Bread tastes like love.

I didn’t even tell you about my favorite part of Amish Friendship Bread yet: the cinnamon crust.

The crust is a thick, crunchy cinnamon sugar coating, especially if you generously coat it before baking like I do.

If you’re intimidated about making your own bread starter, don’t be: it’s super easy! With this bread, you can mix up the starter batter and use it in the bread right away or set it aside for later.

FAVORITE BREADS: Snickerdoodle Banana Bread | Zucchini Bread

Two slices of amish bread with melted butter on top.

How to Make Friendship Bread Starter

To do this, mix yeast with 1/2 cup hot water until yeast is dissolved. Add 1 1/2 cup hot water, 1 cup milk, 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix until blended. Use whisk if needed.

You now have enough batter for 4 portions.

Transfer 1 cup sized portions of the batter to THREE individual gallon size freezer bags and set aside.

With the fourth remaining starter batch, prepare the Amish bread.

PRO TIP: Don’t want to give away the starters? Each of the 1 cup portions can be used immediately, and the result will be 8 loaves of bread total (perfect for freezing).

Step by step photos on how to make amish friendship bread.

Ingredients Needed

Add these ingredients to the bowl with your starter for bread and mix to  combine:

  • Eggs 
  • Milk
  • Oil
  • Flour
  • Baking soda and baking powder
  • Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix

You’ll have a thick and lumpy batter.

Bake the Friendship Bread

Combine sugar and cinnamon to make the topping.

Grease two loaf pans generously,  After greasing the pan, sprinkle with a cinnamon-sugar mix.

Divide batter between two pans then generously top each battered pan with remaining cinnamon sugar mix.

This is what provides a nice crunchy cinnamon layer on the bread so be generous here!

Bake in a 325 degree oven for about one hour. Cool about ten minutes in pan, then remove to cooling racks. Delicious served hot or cold (with butter of course)! Enjoy.

Ingredients for amish bread with bag.

How to Use Starter for Bread

You know those three ziplog baggies full of good starter for bread you have leftover? You’re going to use them indefinitely to keep making more and more bread!

Follow these directions yourself OR write the directions on a note card to deliver with the bag of starter you give to a friend.

Aimee’s Tip

Be sure to write these directions ON the ziploc bag.

  • DAY 1: This is the day you make starter or receive bag! Do nothing.
  • DAY 2- Day 5: Mush the bag with your hands to keep the yeast moving.
  • DAY 6:  Add more flour, sugar and milk to the bag.
  • DAY 7- DAY 9: Mush bag daily again!
  • DAY 10: Bread baking day!
    Pour contents of bag in large bowl, add 1 1/2 cup each of flour, sugar and milk. Measure out 1 cup into 3 ziploc bags like you did the first time you made the starter; the cycle keeps repeating.

With remaining batter follow instructions above for making bread. ENJOY!

Storage

This is one of my favorite loafs of bread to freeze! I’ll often make multiple loaves at once so we always have some stocked in the freezer.

When eaten fresh, this bread is best within a day or two. Leftovers are also amazing toasted (in the oven or toaster) or used in Berry French Toast Casserole.

Two slices of amish bread on a white plate with a loaf of bread sliced in the back.

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Amish Friendship Bread

4.84 from 25 votes
By: Aimee
A delicious Amish Friendship Bread recipe covered in a cinnamon sugar mix. The starter recipe is included so you can share with friends!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 16 servings

Ingredients 

For the Starter:

  • 1 envelope active dry yeast
  • 2 cups warm water
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup whole milk

For the Bread:

  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • cup whole milk
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 large or two small instant vanilla pudding boxes (not sugar free)

For the topping

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons cinnamon
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Instructions 

For the Starter: 

  • To prepare the starter batch, mix yeast with 1/2 cup hot water until yeast is dissolved. Add 1 1/2 cup hot water, 1 cup milk, 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix until blended. Use whisk if needed. You now have enough batter for 4 portions.
  • In three ziploc gallon sized freezer bags, add 1 cup of batter to each bag. These can be given away or used immediately.
  • In your bowl will be a remaining one cup of batter. You can use this immediately following the directions below.

For the Bread: 

  • Okay, with your 1 cup of batter, add remaining ingredients (except the topping ingredients). Mix. Will be slightly lumpy, that’s okay.
  • In two loaf pans, grease generously. I like to grease my pans, lay parchment paper on just the bottom of the pan, then grease again!
  • After greasing the pan, sprinkle with a cinnamon-sugar mix. Divide batter between two pans then generously top each battered pan with remaining cinnamon sugar mix. This is what provides a nice crunchy cinnamon layer on the bread, very important!
  • Bake in a 325 degree oven for about one hour. Cool about ten minutes in pan, then remove to cooling racks. Delicious served hot or cold (with butter of course)! Enjoy. 
  • For the remaining 3 bags of batter, follow the instructions in the notes below: (I usually write these on the bag with sharpie)

Notes

  • DAY 1- Day you make starter or receive bag (do nothing)
  • DAY 2- Day 5- Mush bag
  • DAY 6- Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk, 1 cup sugar to bag, Mush.
  • DAY 7- DAY 9- Mush bag
  • DAY 10- Pour contents of bag in large bowl, add 1 1/2 cup each of flour, sugar and milk. Measure out 1 cup into 3 ziploc bags (the cycle keeps repeating), With remaining batter follow instructions above for making bread.
  • Nutrition

    Calories: 394kcal, Carbohydrates: 60g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g, Cholesterol: 37mg, Sodium: 275mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 39g
    Course: Breads
    Cuisine: American
    Did you make this recipe?Mention @shugarysweets or tag #shugarysweets!

    Whether you share your bread starter with friends or keep it all to yourself, this Amish Bread recipe is so much fun. 



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    About Aimee

    Aimee is a dessert lover (specifically rice krispie treats), workout enthusiast, self-taught foodie, and recipe creator.

    Learn more about Aimee.

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    Posted on April 13, 2021

    Comments & Reviews

    1. Hi Aimee, I’m in the UK and I don’t think I can get instant vanilla pudding mix here, is there something I can substitute instead, or do you have a recipe for making your own please?

      Best regards

    2. I’ve found you can substitute the sugar and reduced sugar milk. However nothing explains why I cannot use sugar-free pudding. I’m attempting to have the lowest sugar recipe as possible.

    3. Yes, u can go 11 days. If u finished the 10 day process, just leave it out on the counter. If u freeze it u will have to start the 10 day process again.

      1. When u freeze starer u have to leave it out on the counter and start the 10 day process again. Do nothing on the first day when u take it out of freezer. If u stopped on the Fourth day, then just pick up whatever day u left off and continue where u left off.

    4. After the starter info is confusing to me. Can I add the other ingredients and make the bread without doing the 10 day process and have 8 loaves as soon as I can get them baked?

    5. My bread stuck to the pan even tho I sprayed them. 1 loaf fell apart completely! Next time I’ll use parchment. I set the oven for325 & after 50 mins the bread was finished. A little disappointed but will try again!

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