Friendship Bread-- I just don't get it

[Plannin'Shannon]

But everyone should get to experience friendship bread at least once!!!

I have yet to experience it. Don't tell my friends.

 

[kafitty]

oh my...i have never heard of this!

Never ignore the goo!

ummm hello Tag Fairy!!

 

[MomNeedsVacay]

Its been 20 years since I've received a bag-o-goo. Nice to know its still going around. I remember it tasting good.

Wonder if its from the same original batch?

I think I vaguely remember my mom doing this when I was a kid--I'll have to ask her. THe would make it more like 25 years old!!
okay--- we are on Day 2 of the Friendship Bread--- instructions say "Squeeze bag".... this is so weird. Is there a hidden camera in my kitchen?

 

[just4today]

Somebody tried to give me some, but since I'm about as handy in the kitchen as that grandma opening the box of donuts in "16 Candles" with the cigarette dangling out of her mouth, I declined.

 

[alexandria674]

Somebody tried to give me some, but since I'm about as handy in the kitchen as that grandma opening the box of donuts in "16 Candles" with the cigarette dangling out of her mouth, I declined.

I remember the first time watching that and my mom came in,took a drag on the cigeratte and said "What's wrong with that?"
Seriously, I don't undestand friendship bread at all. Let's just get a package of Wonder Bread and a friendship bracelet and be done with it.

 

[lovemygoofy]

I don't do friendship bread. I like to keep my friends. I had someone try to pawn it off on me once and I asked if she really liked me then she would take her goo and give it someone else.

 

[lovetoscrap]

I was just thinking about how much bacteria would be in there! How do people not get sick from this?

Friendship bread starter SHOULD be a mixture of sugar, water and flour, left out in an open bowl. That is originally what it would have been. No eggs or dairy that would grow bacteria. The yeast comes from what is occuring naturally in the air and the mixture ferments which inhibits bacteria growth because it is acidic.


I think most starters (aka goo!) these days are made with a package of yeast, and most recipes I have seen also include milk. Because the yeast is added right away and fermentation begins immediately that should make it inhospitable to bacteria growth but I just don't think I want to risk it!

If your starter has dairy or eggs I would keep it in the refrigerator, it will grow, but very slowly. Actually I would just toss it out since you have no idea how long it has been out and where it was before you got it!

You also need to make sure your starter doesn't "die". It should continue to bubble and grow. If it doesn't then you have killed it and it just needs to be tossed out. So use that as your excuse! Gosh, I kill houseplants and goldfish. I don't think I can be responsible for keeping this alive.

 

[MomNeedsVacay]

Friendship bread starter SHOULD be a mixture of sugar, water and flour, left out in an open bowl. That is originally what it would have been. No eggs or dairy that would grow bacteria. The yeast comes from what is occuring naturally in the air and the mixture ferments which inhibits bacteria growth because it is acidic.


I think most starters (aka goo!) these days are made with a package of yeast, and most recipes I have seen also include milk. Because the yeast is added right away and fermentation begins immediately that should make it inhospitable to bacteria growth but I just don't think I want to risk it!

If your starter has dairy or eggs I would keep it in the refrigerator, it will grow, but very slowly. Actually I would just toss it out since you have no idea how long it has been out and where it was before you got it!

You also need to make sure your starter doesn't "die". It should continue to bubble and grow. If it doesn't then you have killed it and it just needs to be tossed out. So use that as your excuse! Gosh, I kill houseplants and goldfish. I don't think I can be responsible for keeping this alive.

the instrustions say to leave it on the counter... it is starting to bubble so I gave it a couple of squeezes....

 

[Frantasmic]

It's like a yeast pyramid scheme.

I'd much prefer a friendship already baked thank you very much bread myself, or at most a friendship can of whomp biscuits type of relationship.

 

[SydneyFalco]

The wife did this a while ago, calling it "Amish Friendship Bread". It was dang tasty and it came around twice within our circle of acquaintances. Both times she added something different as a special flavouring, but I can't remember what those things were.

 

[SydneyFalco]

It's like a yeast pyramid scheme.

More like a chain letter. It would only be a pyramid scheme if the "bread" flowed in one direction only. And the guy at the top of the pyramid would be HUUUUGE. Like Bernie Madoff crossed with Jabba the Hutt.

 

[MomNeedsVacay]

More like a chain letter. It would only be a pyramid scheme if the "bread" flowed in one direction only. And the guy at the top of the pyramid would be HUUUUGE. Like Bernie Madoff crossed with Jabba the Hutt.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

It should be called Friendship Cake - it is much closer to a coffee cake, with all that sugar on the top. It is delicious - I could eat a whole loaf in about a day if no one was watching!!!

Here's a hint - if you bake what you have and keep a starter but you are tired of how demanding it is, put the starter in the freezer. Then you can thaw it out and start it again at your leisure.

We got some starter this summer from a babysitting customer of DDs, and we were obsessed for the whole summer. Now we are taking a break - I'll probably make some for Thanksgiving and keep it going until after Christmas.

It's not that hard to deal with - squish, squish, squish, add, add, add, squish, add and bake. And it's totally worth it!!!

That is great advice! I wouldn't have thought it would survive freezing.

 

[okeydokey]

I just got some last week and will be baking tomorrow. It's the kind you make with the vanilla pudding in the mix and the cinnamon and sugar on the crust. It is soooo yummy. I had done this a couple of years ago and my kids kept asking me to start it up again. The friend who gave it to me brought the finished cake to 4-H last week and I have people lined up to get the starter, so I'll be OK for a while.

If I run out of folks wanting the starter I just use it to make extra loaves of cake to put in the freezer. They are perfect to pull out for Cub Scout snacks or whenever!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

okay...so If I follow through with this bread-- will others be burdened by me giving them a starter bag-o-goo? :

People I know who have it offer it up either on freecycle or various e-mail groups that I am on.

I haven't been able to try it, yet--but that is how I would pass it along. Then you will know who really wants it.

I had no idea it was all this work though.

 

[tzolkin]

The wife did this a while ago, calling it "Amish Friendship Bread". It was dang tasty and it came around twice within our circle of acquaintances. Both times she added something different as a special flavouring, but I can't remember what those things were.

I had some a few years ago. I cut up some apples into it and added some other stuff like cinnamon and vanilla. I'd actually like to make some now. I had forgotten about those bags of goo.

I made the last of it right before we left for a FL trip. We ate some during our 24 hour car trip and I left the bags of goo at my MIL's house when we headed to Disney.

 

[DVCLiz]

That is great advice! I wouldn't have thought it would survive freezing.

That's according to Wikipedia or some internet site - I haven't tried it yet personally. But I have about 7 or 8 bags in the freezer so I'll pull one out and report back in a couple of weeks!!

 

[Luv2Scrap]

I'm sure it's perfectly fine, but the idea of eating something that has sat on a counter for days before beign cooked really makes my skin crawl!

 

[TriMom]

My DH and I call it Amish Enemy Bread - I hate having to pass on the responsibility to other people. I had some sourdough starter over the summer, and when we went of vacation, I had to find a babysitter for it. Food that requires babysitting is way to much work!

 

[MomNeedsVacay]

My DH and I call it Amish Enemy Bread - I hate having to pass on the responsibility to other people. I had some sourdough starter over the summer, and when we went of vacation, I had to find a babysitter for it. Food that requires babysitting is way to much work!

I agree---its like it's staring at me every time I walk in the kitchen.. "Have you squeezed my bag lately?? Mwa ha ha."