The ultimate Friendship Bread Recipe

The friendship bread is a recipe for sharing and passing along flavor and kindness. Because it continues to multiply when you share it with others. I never liked chain letters that much. But the friendship bread is besides a message of appreciation, an exciting baking project. One that makes you slow down and asks for a little care each day, for 10 days. I will share with you the ultimate friendship bread recipe! Enjoy the process of nurturing your starter into a flavorsome sweet cinnamon pound cake. Because although the name may suggest otherwise, you can expect a sweet cake as a result, rather than a loaf of bread.

The 10-Day Friendship Bread journey

Note: Do not use metal tools (spoons, whisks, etc.) or bowls. The metal will deactivate the yeast, which errors the fermentation process of the Friendship Bread.

Day-1: Today you received your Friendship Bread starter (or the day that you made your own batch of starter). Put your starter into a large (non-metal) bowl and cover it with a dishcloth. This way the starter will have enough space to rise. Just let the starter chill out and get used to its new surroundings. Do not put the starter in the fridge. It will rise and ferment nicely at room temperature.

Day 2-5: Stir the starter once daily to mix. Afterward, cover with the dishcloth again and let it sit at room temperature.

Day 6: Feed the starter with 130 grams of white flour (1 cup), 200 grams of sugar (1 cup), and 250 ml of milk of choice (1 cup). Stir to combine, cover with the dishcloth and set aside.

Day 7-9: Stir the starter once daily to mix. Afterward, cover with the dishcloth again and let it sit at room temperature.

Day 10: Today is sharing and baking day! Add 195 grams of white flour (1,5 cups), 300 grams of sugar (1,5 cups), and 375 ml of milk (1,5 cups) and stir to combine. Divide the mixture into 4 even portions (approximately 1 cup each). Put 3 portions into 3 storage containers or jars (If you use jars, make sure that you cover them with anything other then a metal lid. The metal will deactivate the yeast, which errors the fermentation process of the Friendship Bread. Instead, you can use baking paper, wax paper, some plastic wrap, or a handkerchief, with some nice string and perhaps a little label attached.) and share them with your friends and family along with a link or print of this recipe page. Leave the remaining 4th portion into the large bowl to prepare your own Friendship Bread according to the recipe down below or switch the plan an make some nice crispy waffles.

The ultimate Friendship Bread Recipe

Before you start, some side notes: Do not be afraid of the sugar. The sugar you added to the starter during the 10-day journey was nutrition for the starter and is converted into lactic acid and carbon dioxide. This is why the batter is bubbly and smells a little sour. Besides, this will be a big cake loaf so the end result will not be overly sweet. This is also the reason you should make sure your cake tin is big enough. Tiny sized cake tins will flood in the oven!

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Ingredients
• 50g sugar + 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 batch of starter (ca. 450g)
• 260g white flour (2 cups)
• 250 ml sunflower oil (1 cup)
• 200g of sugar
• 125 ml milk (1 cup)
• 145g custard or vanilla instant pudding mix
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

Materials
• 2 large bowls
• 1 small bowl
• Spoon or whisk
• Spatula
• 1 cake/loaf tin or springform (min. 22 cm (9 inches)

Preparation instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 175ºC/325ºF.

2. Grease the cake/loaf tin with oil, butter or margarine.

3. Mix 50 grams of sugar with 1 tsp of cinnamon in a small bowl and dust the cake/loaf pan with half 2/3 of the mixture.

4. Mix the rest of the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

5. Add the eggs one by one to the large bowl of the remaining starter and mix to combine.

6. Add the sunflower oil to the batter and mix to combine.

7. Add the mixed dry ingredients and mix until there are no lumps left.

8. Add the milk gradually and meanwhile mix until combined.

9. Pour the batter into the prepared cake/loaf pan and sprinkle the remaining sugar-cinnamon mix on top of the batter.

10. Bake in the 175ºC/325ºF preheated oven for 50-60 minutes until golden brown. The Friendship bread is well baked when an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

11. Let the Friendship bread cool in its tin on a wire rack and remove the bread from its pan when it comes loose evenly.

Did you wonder around on this page and got excited about the ultimate Friendship Bread recipe but did not receive a Friendship Bread starter yet? You can also make your own Friendship Bread starter via this link to the recipe.

Did you receive a Friendship Bread starter and baked up your own sweet Friendship Bread? I’d love to see the results! Please share them with me @TalesofPastry. In case you have any questions about the Friendship Bread 10-day journey, feel free to comment down below.