AMISH BREAD - The Southern Lady Cooks - Old Fashioned Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long can you keep Amish Friendship bread starter? ›

If it's properly cared for, Amish friendship starter can be maintained indefinitely. "It is heartier than most sourdough starters because the sugars in the added milk and sugar give the yeasts extra food to survive, but other things like ambient temperature and contamination could alter your starter," Gee says.

If your starter is not active, the bread will be dense. Under-kneading: Kneading helps to develop the gluten in the dough, which gives it structure and allows it to trap air bubbles. If the dough is not kneaded enough, it will be weak and dense. Under-proofing: Proofing is the time when the dough is allowed to rise.

If the yeast you're using is expired, chances are your bread will not get a good rise (if any) from it. Yeast is a microorganism and does have a definite life span. For best results, always use yeast before the “best by” date. To make sure it is ready to go, always proof yeast before adding it to your bread dough.

If your starter turns pink or has pink splotches, throw it out. After feeding it, nothing happens. Again, every starter (and kitchen) is different so you don't want to be impatient.

If your starter looks discolored with a pink or green tinge, has mold (a no-brainer but worth mentioning), or if the sharp acetone smell doesn't go away, discard your starter and make a new one from scratch. It's sad, but so is food poisoning. The rule in the Friendship Bread Kitchen is: when in doubt, throw it out.

All it takes is a small amount of dough enhancer per loaf to create a much lighter and fluffier result. Using a dough enhancer like Vital Wheat Gluten works to improve the texture and elasticity of the dough and elongate the strands of gluten. Doing so allows more room for the gas in the dough to develop and rise.

While bread flour is the best option, it can sometimes be used if you don't have bread flour. “Check the protein content,” advises Chef Jürgen, since it can vary from brand to brand, and an all-purpose flour that contains protein on the higher end of the range, 12 to 13 percent, will produce a better outcome.

Strong flour has more protein and gluten and gives an overall heavier feel to the bread, both in weight and texture/taste. If you are already using strong flour consider using less yeast, this will cause the bread to rise less and be heavier, but this may make the taste and texture less pleasant.

Peasant bread makes use of whole flour to produce a rustic and hearty loaf. There is a stiffness to the crust and the texture of the crumb is coarser compared to bread baked from refined flours.

Bannock is a form of bread that served as a staple in the diets of early settlers and fur traders. Most Indigenous nations in North America have some version of bannock.

Is active dry yeast same as instant? ›

A Quick Primer. Dry yeast comes in two forms: active and instant. "Active" describes any dry yeast that needs to be activated prior to use, while "instant dry yeast" describes any dry yeast that's ready for use the instant you open the package.

If you leave your bread dough to rise for too long outside at room temperature, there is a risk of overproofing the dough. It might look alright in appearance, but when you bake the bread, it will not rise much in the oven. The end result will be a dense loaf of bread.

Active Dry Yeast is an ideal yeast to use for artisan breads or no knead breads that require a slower rise time. It's also the preferred type of yeast for those doughs that proof in the refrigerator for extended periods of time.

Some recipes have you “punch down” the dough one or two times. Some recipes do not have this step at all. If your recipe asks to do it, do it! From my experience making regular yeast breads, I punch down once after first rise and then once again before forming into loaves.

As we have seen, a sourdough starter can last indefinitely with proper care and maintenance. So, don't let your starter go to waste – nurture it, experiment with it, and let it be your trusted companion on your sourdough journey for years to come.

Storing your sourdough starter in the fridge will require feeding around once a week. It can, however, be stored up to two months in the fridge without being fed. What is this? Reviving a sourdough starter that has been stored in the fridge for a longer period of time is a good idea.

A Couple Weeks and Much More. I use two methods to store my starter for long periods and usually opt for the first: crumbling and drying it out in flour. I've left my starter dried in my pantry and out of direct sunlight for up to 8 months without any issue.

Rancid or Putrid Smell – If your starter has a rancid, putrid, or even rotten odour, then it is likely to have spoiled or have been contaminated. This could be due to the growth of harmful bacteria or mould. In this case, it is best to discard the starter and start fresh.