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!
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
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).
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.
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.
More Breakfast Recipes
- Beer Bread
- Apple Banana Carrot Bread
- Apple Cider Donuts
- Apple Cinnamon Bread
- Cranberry Orange Bread
- Orange Bread
Favorite Bread Recipes
See all Breads recipes
Amish Friendship Bread
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
- ⅔ 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
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
Nutrition
Whether you share your bread starter with friends or keep it all to yourself, this Amish Bread recipe is so much fun.
If I want to make these in muffin tins, do you know what the difference in cooking time would be?
I’ve not tried that yet! Let me know if you experiment with muffins!
Aimee, I was wondering if you knew what the cooking time would be if I wanted to use a bunt pan instead of a loaf pan. My husbands Oma used to make this every Christmas, and it is a family favourite.
When you get too many bags of starter you can put them in the freezer. They keep indefinitely. When you take one out start directions for day 1. I’ve found that I get better results with the bag of batter if I pick the bag up everyday and squeeze it along the bottom. You may have to let some of the air out of the bag on the days after you feed it. Always use QUART size ziploc bags.
my daughter and husband gave dairy allergies, do you think I could substitute almond or soy milk for milk and what can I sub for instant pudding as it has milk in it. New to this dairy free thing.
THANK YOU for the starter recipe! I have maintained some starter for probably 10 years and have been worried a couple of times that I had neglected it too long.
Do you use plain or self rising flour?
I use all-purpose flour. Enjoy!
I love this recipe! A friend of mine gave it to me years ago. We are now gluten-free…can this be made using gluten-free flour (no wheat) instead of regular all purpose flour? Thanks.
Hi this sounds lovely but I am wondering if there is anything else you could substitute the vanilla instant pudding for? many thanks
I wish there was a way to just make it, with enough “starter” for myself only, after awhile you run out of friends to give these to.
That’s why I usually bake the entire starter batch (8 loaves of bread). They are perfect for freezing. Or they make a great gift to a friend!
IM CONFUSED MY DAUGHTER HAS MADE THIS BUT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IF YOU KEEP ALL THE STARTERS FOR YOURSELF DO YOU HALF TO ADD THE FLOUR SUGAR ETC ON THE 10TH DAY OR COULD YOU JUST BAKE RIGHT AWAY AS NOT SURE IF YOU WOULD STILL ADD ON THE 10TH DAYS THOSE INGREDIENTS AND ALSO IF YOU MAKE 4 LOAVES FOR YOURSELF WITHOUT GIVING STARTES AWAY COULD YOU SEND ME RECIPE FOR THE INGREDIENTS AS THIS RECIPE I BELIVE IS FOR 4 LOAVES THANKS YOU SO MUCH AND ALSO DO YOU GREASE AND FLOUR THE PANS PLEASE EMAIL ME THANKS AGAIN
Did you find out the answer to this question? I too would like to know the details for baking the entire batch and not making starter bags to give away. I thought I saw that it would make 8 loves. 2 for the batter left and then 2 each for the other cups of starter. I’m just not sure and would love to know before I give it a try!
When you separate all the batter into the 4 sections, you can then bake each batch, adding in the full ingredients. No need to wait.
I used to have a recipe for amish blueberry bread. Can you help me convert this to that? This is the only recipe I can find that has a crusty shell!! That was the best part!! The bread was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU!!
Do you know a good substitute for instant vanilla pudding? They are hard to find in Brazil…
This recipe can be made without the pudding mix, it will just be less moist. I would add a couple extra drops of vanilla to make up for the missing flavor from the pudding though.
I used this exact recipe and made my starter months ago. I had one given to me around 15 years ago and I kept it for around a year. I cryer when I lost it!!! But I followed this recipe and it’s been great!!! I keep 3 of my starters and bake with them on day ten and I use one to keep it going. It really does get better and better to keep it going!! I make chocolate,vanilla,pumpkin.lemon with poppy seeds,egg nog.
I usually freeze my starter then when I want to make a loaf I thaw and follow the recipe for making the bread, skipping the 10 days of proofing and it works perfect. I also change up the pudding flavor to get different breads!
I never got to eat the bread bc I accidentally killed the yeast. This is my very first time working with yeast and I put too hot of water in the bowl. You should really make it clear for the novice baker not to use hot water.
Water temp should be about 110 degrees F
I would love the recipe as well Dorothy! Ty! bennieandcandybingham@roadrunner.com
Mmm.my favorite bread for years!!! I too always have some in the freezer and I also keep and bake all of the starters,lol I end up with 12 loaves:) I made my own starter using the method you put down and it’s the ONLY one I recommend!!! Not using yeast never seemed right and I didn’t trust it!
I have a good amish white bread recipe if anyone wants it and .. Its great I makes great bread I make 4 loaves week my boys love it and freezes well ..
Dorothy I would love your bread recipe! bydubois10@yahoo.com thanks!
Would you by any chance still have this recipe?I would truly like to have it.
I would love the recipe as well. Thank you Tamntexxas@aol.com
Dorothy I would love your white bread recipe also please.
I would love the recipe as well Dorothy! Ty! mburnz@comcast.net
I would love the recipe please
Oops… susanl61520@gmail.com
would love to have your bread recipe. thanks
I would love to have the white bread recipe! Thanks! jennifermjordan@hotmail.com
Hi Dorothy. Please share you recipe for the Amish white bread. Thanks ! sdvhaiti@hotmail.com
I would love the recipe for white bread if you happen to get this! Can’t wait to make this bread too!!
Just seeing this..could I get recipe? Kpotter4358@gmail.com. Thanks!
I use all flavors of pudding in these. Add nuts, choc chips, raisins, really anything you want to add/.
Great idea trish!!
I use all flavors of pudding in these. Add nuts, choc chips, raisins, really anything you want to add/.
I have been making this for years and you do not need a starter. Just make the recipe as directed and there is no change in the taste. I even go fat free and use all milk and no oil for a healthier version. They all come out great!
I have also and it is just as good!
so if you don’t need a starter do you mean you just skip the whoile yeast thing and make up the other ingredients for the loaves Reenie,