Does this only make bread or with some adjustments can it be used for muffins.Would be greatful for any Recipes Thank You.
aly5,
Oct 15, 5:40am
I'm not sure if they are same recipe . but at this very moment I am baking Herman the friendship cake - I found variations to the recipe online - so you could try googling that. I'm doing an apple, cinnamon and raisin version of the cake, but apparently you can do muffins, loaves as well.
hoffy10,
Oct 15, 6:57am
Ok thank you will see what i can find, your cake sounds yummy.
cgvl,
Oct 15, 9:24am
can make fruit loaf, muffins, and cake with it or at least that was what I did. Never made bread though.
shabbychic8,
Oct 15, 8:21pm
how can you leave something with milk in it on the bench for 10 days without getting sick.!
sarahb5,
Oct 15, 10:15pm
I don't know but it works and doesn't make you sick - it's the nicest fruit cake I've ever had
uli,
Oct 15, 11:14pm
We are having this discussion on here at least once a year ever since I joined TM :)
It is basically a sourdough made with milk. It works well if you just leave it out of the fridge for a day until you have the required amount you need for your recipe - then take the starter off before baking and put it back into the fridge.
There is no need at all to feed any of those Amish's or Hermanns or whatever else they are called over 10 days. That was just a lovely story and a marketing ploy.
You can feed it twice in one day (once in the morning, once in the afternoon and bake in the evening), then put the starter back into the fridge.
In America there are always warnings about it, as the milk doesn't necessarily sour, but can simply rot (especially if it is pasteurized supermarket milk) and you get lovely food poisoning from the result.
uli,
Oct 15, 11:27pm
If you are interested I can re-post what the different "Friendship cakes" are and how they came about and also a starter based on water rather than milk.
shabbychic8,
Oct 16, 9:11am
I think I would feel more comfortable with that LOL
I have never heard of this until now - it sounds really interesting! I do apologise for asking the same q everyone asks. I know how annoying it is when you are an old MB hand and you keep seeing the same things! ("cats peeing in the garden" comes to mind (gardening board)) LOL
griffo4,
Oct 16, 8:37pm
Yes please Uli l have never seen any recipe for these on here so l must have missed something it sounds very interesting especially using unpasteurised milk as l have plenty at present
uli,
Oct 17, 5:57am
Friendship Cake or Muffin Bug
Friendship cakes have been called the "edible chain letter." Various friendship cake starters have been passed from person to person for more than a hundred years. The original concoction, a.k.a. Amish Friendship Cake or Herman Cake, started as a mixture of flour, sugar and water. Airborne yeast fermented the mixture which was a staple to early pioneers in bread making. Of course, this was before you could buy active dry yeast at the grocery store.
The starter, which was the leavening agent, was used to make pancakes, breads and cakes. Sourdough packing pioneers relied on the starter as a leavening agent. Today’s friendship bread recipes are more of a luxury or a novelty than a necessary staple.
When the starter is passed on, a recipe and instructions are given with it. The mixture sits on the counter for seventy-two hours, until it becomes a fermented starter. Then, according to a carefully prescribed ritual, the starter is fed and stirred daily. The stirring must be done with a wooden spoon, for 10 more days. If it is not carefully nurtured, the starter will die.
uli,
Oct 17, 5:57am
But then if it lives, the resulting mass must be divided. One portion goes into a quick bread batter, another is kept and the two remaining portions are given to friends, thus the name - friendship bread. Folks too greedy to share have found that the starter spreads to gigantic proportions, soon over-running the kitchen. After experiencing this disaster, most people are compelled to pass it on.
Anthropologists say people like to share things they have invested their time in. It is the notion of giving something of yourself. Although this friendship bread starter is a frugal gift, it is homemade and it produces a mouth-watering bread with a distinctive taste that can only be achieved with the starter.
What gives friendship bread that distinctive flavor! The acids produced as a by-product of the growing yeast create wonderful flavor. The acids are the vital part of the flavor compound that gives each loaf it’s slightly different tang. The acids also help preserve the starter by inhibiting the growth of certain harmful bacteria.
uli,
Oct 17, 5:58am
Avoid starter recipes that call for the addition of milk, cream or eggs. These mixtures may change colors, start to smell putrid and look slimy. This is a definite indication that something other than yeast is living in your starter. Animal products were not a part of the original starter recipe. Rather, they were added only when the cake was mixed for baking.
Recipes that call for milk, cream or eggs in the starter will support the growth of some modern day bacteria. Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens and staphylococcus areus like to grow in dairy products left at room temperature for hours. The modern day version is also refrigerated after 72 hours as an added safety feature.
uli,
Oct 17, 5:58am
How to Make a Friendship Cake Starter
There are a least a hundred versions of the starter and the resulting bread or cake recipe going around. There is one with fruit, one with nuts, one made with whole wheat flour and raisins and the list goes on and on. Here is one method for starting the starter.
Starter food: Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water, stirring well; let stand 5 minutes or until bubbly. Combine remaining water, flour and sugar in a medium size, non-metallic bowl; mix well. Add dissolved yeast and stir well. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or cheesecloth and let stand in a warm place (25° C) three days, stirring 2-3 times daily. Place fermented mixture in refrigerator at this point. Stir daily and use within 11 days. Always bring starter to room temperature before using in cake recipe. Allow to set in a warm place for one hour or longer before using. Stir well, then measure amount needed for recipe.
uli,
Oct 17, 5:59am
Nurturing Your Starter Your starter should have a sweet yeasty smell. If at any time you notice signs of spoilage toss the starter and begin again. Do NOT add milk, cream, or eggs to starter or it may produce harmful bacteria.
Day 1 -- The day your receive your 1 cup of starter, stir the mixture with a wooden spoon, let it sit on a counter, loosely covered with crumpled plastic wrap or wax paper for one day. Do not refrigerate at this point. Use a nonmetallic container.
Day 2, 3, 4 -- Refrigerate, stir the mixture each day, keep loosely covered.
Day 5 -- Transfer starter to a larger glass or ceramic jar or bowl. Add the following "starter food." 1 cup water, 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar.
Stir to mix, cover loosely and return batter to the refrigerator. Mixture will expand. Your container should not be more than half full. Refrigerate the starter at this point.
uli,
Oct 17, 5:59am
Day 6, 7, 8, 9 -- Stir only and keep refrigerated, loosely covered.
Day10 -- You may need to transfer the batter to an even larger container. Add more starter food and stir. Allow starter to sit at room temperature for one hour. Remove 3 cups. Keep one cup for yourself and give one cup each to friends along with the "Nurturing Your Starter" instructions and cake recipe. Measure 3 cups for the following recipe.
Note: If you keep a cup for yourself, start over, beginning with Day 1.
uli,
Oct 17, 5:59am
Fruit & Nuts Friendship Cake
3 cups starter, 1 cup sugar, 2 cups all purpose flour, 2/3 cup vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda, 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 cup chopped apples, 1 cup raisins or chopped nuts, 1 egg plus 2 egg whites,
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl, set aside. In another large bowl mix starter, egg and whites, sugar, oil and vanilla. Add flour mixture, apples and raisins or nuts. Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan. Bake at 200°C for 50 to 60 minutes. Cool, dust with powdered sugar.
Or fill into greased muffin tins. Bake at 180°C for 10 to 20 minutes.
Note: Any combination of fruit and nuts can be used as long as the total equals 2 cups. Try crushed, drained pineapples, dates, pecans, or almonds.
uli,
Oct 17, 6:00am
FRIENDSHIP CARROT CAKE
1 c. flour, 3/4 c. sugar, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1/4 tsp. baking soda, 3/4 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1 egg, 1/3 c. vegetable oil, 1 c. Friendship Starter, 1 c. finely grated carrots, 1/3 c. raisins, 1/3 c. chopped pecans or walnuts,
Preheat oven to 200C degrees. Grease an 8" square cake pan.
Stir or sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
In mixer bowl, beat egg until light, then add oil and starter.
Slowly stir in dry ingredients.
Stir in carrots, raisins and nuts.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake about 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool in pan on rack, then frost top if wished. Cut in squares.
uli,
Oct 17, 6:01am
Any questions please ask.
It is not really necessary to "pamper" the sourdough as described above, but that is the original recipe.
griffo4,
Oct 18, 12:02am
Thank you for posting that Uli the way l read it the same as the sour dough starter l made earlier this year and use to make bread but doesn't have sugar added! l could use my one to make these if l used sugar and fed it like the recipe above! l started my sour dough using flour and water and left to sit on the bench for a few days and l use it then feed with more flour and water and put back in fridge
uli,
Oct 18, 12:23am
Yes you can use a bit of your sourdough and feed it with milk and flour. Nice for cakes.
But I would not leave it out of the fridge for more than a day. I would take it out in the morning, feed it with milk and flour, then again at lunch time, then bake in the evening.
Good luck!
griffo4,
Oct 18, 12:29am
Thanks Uli l will give it a go\ How much milk and flour please!
griffo4,
Oct 18, 9:16pm
Right l have read all your notes Uli and l will give this a go tomorrow and let you know how it goes
griffo4,
Oct 19, 8:17am
Uli l have just crawled out of the thread cross eyed and l realise that my starter is in good health and l have been using Jacqueline's recipe and Beakers one for a while now and happy with results of both
What l would love, and l am sure many others as well, is if you could put your recipes and advice in a book form like the baking thread so people can email you for a copy so it is in one place to sit and read without other comments and if Buzzy did the same it would be an extensive and very useful for anyone wanting to start out and learn or just have a great reference
l will go and do some c&p in the meantime tomorrow while l wait for my butter to beat up My starter sits in the fridge until the day before l want bread and l feed it and put it in a bowl on the bench for the day covered with a paper towel, (l wash out the jar and then put boiling water in it and leave it to sit for 10 minutes then leave covered to dry), then at night or earlier now with hotter weather, it is bubbling like mad so l make up my bread dough and put a tablespoon of starter into flour and water and put it back into it's clean jar and leave sit on the bench or down the hallway(cooler) overnight and then put in the fridge My dough sits for 18hrs then go from there, kneading etc and then it usually sits for another 4hrs when l bake it depending on temperature l can see you are manylevels up from my efforts but your advice and Buzzy's is priceless
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