Amish Bread Starter

Amish Bread - Photo: Flickr

Amish Bread Starter, creating a "Sour-dough" like bread.  This starter makes a cinnamon bread, with optional raisins and nuts.  From the "e-Cookbook" 65 Amish Recipes

2/3 c. sugar
2/3 c. milk
2/3 c. flour
2/3 c. oil
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. sugar
2 c. flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda


Combine ingredients in a large airtight container with a lid. Store at room temperature, do not refrigerate. Stir every day for 17 days. The recipe makes more than the 1 cup needed. But allows for evaporation.

Now the starter is ready. The following instructions are for either the starter you created above or received from a loving friend.

For the next 10 days handle starter according to the following instructions.

Day 1, receive the starter
Day 2, 3 & 4 - stir
Day 5, Add 1 cup each flour, sugar, and milk.
Day 6 & 7, stir
Day 8 & 9, stir
Day 10, Add 1 cup flour, sugar, and milk.
Divide into 3 containers of 1 cup each for friends.

After removing the 3 cups of batter, mix in the following ingredients: Using a fork, beat by hand until well blended.

Add 1 cup raisins and 1 cup nuts (optional).

Grease pans with butter, sprinkle with sugar instead of flour. Bake at 325 for 1 hour. Cool 10 minutes, remove from pans.

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BREADMAKER Recipes

When bread makers first came out years back people felt that all you could use them for was plain white bread. Well that is not even close to being true any more. There are now dozens of fantastic recipes available for all kinds of bread. What you will find is that the ingredients you use in a bread machine will be a little different than if you were baking bread normally. The results are just as good however.

Making bread in bread machine. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Below is a selection of recipes that are very simple to make, very affordable, and most of all, deliciously healthy. They only take a few minutes to prepare and the results will make everyone happy. So go ahead and try them out. Crack open your breadmaker and give one of these yummy recipes a try.

Basic White Bread

• 1 1/4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons powdered milk
• 2 TBSP oil (l usually use canola)
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 tsp yeast

Just use the standard wet on the bottom dry on top mixing process. This is delicious with butter and honey while it is still hot.

Grain & Honey Bread 

• 3/4 cup warm water
• 2 TBSP honey (liquid or melted)
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 TBSP lemon juice
• 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (mixed grain flower is OK too)
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 2 tsps granulated yeast

Put the salt in the breadmaker first, then add all other ingredients except the yeast, oats and flour. Add the oats and flour. Make a small hole at the top of the dry ingredients for the yeast. Bake as usual.

Cheesy Buttermilk Bread

This yields a moist and tasty loaf. It also stores very well, but you'll probably finish it before that even matters!

• 1 and 1/8 cups buttermilk 
• 1 tsp salt 
• 2 TBSP sugar 
• .75 cup extra sharp chedder (grated) 
• 3 cups bread flour 
• 1.5 tsps bread machine yeast 

Prepare as usual. All wet ingredients first, then the cheese, then dry ingredients, and the yeast on top.

Oat Bread 

Use natural rolled oats. Just put them in a pot with boiling water, and then let them soak until they cool off. Then add the other ingredients and proceed as usual.

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 11 fl.oz. water 
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar 
• 2 Tbsp olive oil 
• 3 cups flour 
• 1 tsp yeast 

Baking bread is a wonderfully delicious way to add great nutrition to you family's diet. Give the recipes a try and add some flavour to your meals.

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