The other day my kendo teacher gave me some starter for Amish friendship bread, and I have some questions.
I could not find the exact recipe that I am using, but most go something like this (the exact days when you add stuff seems to differ from recipe to recipe):
- Make starter and put 1c of it in a 1-gallon plastic bag (day 1)
- Days 2-5 - mush bag
- Day 6 - add 1 cup each flour, sugar and milk.
- Day 7-9 - mush bag
- Day 10 add 1c each sugar, flour and milk.
- Put 1c of the starter into 4 bags and date them to give to friends (3) and keep the 4th for yourself.
- Add a bunch of other stuff, and bake for 1 hour at 325 degrees.
My questions are as follows:
- Aside from myself and my kendo teacher who obviously already has the starter, I really do not know 4 people who bake, and I cannot really figure out what to do with the 4 bags of starter I got. Other than chunking them, the only thing I can think of is to freeze them, then when I want to make some more, I thaw the bag, add ~1/2 tsp yeast and call that day 1?
- I am not so sure I want to have to bake exactly every 10 days. Can this recipe be shortened or lengthened, so for example, you could bake every or every other Saturday or Sunday.
- In steps 3 and 5 could you put 1/4 cups of each (as opposed to a full cup), so that in step 6 you have enough for 1 bag for yourself, and enough left in the bowl to make a loaf of bread.
Brian Christiansen