Amish Friendship Bread Starter vs Sourdough Starter

[cteavin]

Hi,

I make sourdough starter one of two ways: water and flour in a jar, feeding it everyday for about a week or flour, water, and a pinch of yeast and feeding it for the week. 

 

I'm interested in Amish Friendship Bread and looking online I've seen several different versions all of which use a full packet of yeast from the start. Since the starter is kept for years and years, I'm wondering what the flavor is like when compared to a usual sourdough starter. 

 

Does anyone here have any experience with AFB? Any thoughts on the results?

[jimb0]

i haven’t made friendship bread since i was a kid but past a certain point there isn’t going to be a difference. the majority of the flavour development in sourdough comes from bacteria and long ferments (that’s not to say you can’t have wild yeasts contributing; you absolutely will). i actually often start sourdough starters with a little commercial yeast and some yogurt whey just to set things off with a bang and provide an environment right from the start that will prevent spoilage microbes from taking hold. you can’t tell the difference past a couple of weeks in my experience. 

[Kim Shook]

I have received and then made Amish Friendship bread starter and enjoyed it very much.  Here's a recipe for the starter and here's one for the bread.  Friendship Bread is named that because you make enough to give away three portions of the fermented batter and then the starter and keep one for yourself.  I never had any luck finding someone who would take either the batter or the starter.  Everyone I asked was horrified at the idea of leaving something out that long.  🙄

[cteavin]

9 hours ago, Kim Shook said:

Everyone I asked was horrified at the idea of leaving something out that long.  🙄

That's funny. 

 

I'm interested in some 'sourdough' pancakes I saw online but at the same time I'm like, SOURdough PANCAKES and then wondered about AFB because it goes on for years. 

 

So what happened to that starter you were gifted?

[Maison Rustique]

13 hours ago, cteavin said:

That's funny. 

 

I'm interested in some 'sourdough' pancakes I saw online but at the same time I'm like, SOURdough PANCAKES and then wondered about AFB because it goes on for years. 

 

So what happened to that starter you were gifted?

 

Well, sourdough starter goes on forever, too. You can freeze both AFB and sourdough starter if you want to take a break. I've had a sourdough starter going for over a year. I might still have an AFB starter in the back of the freezer. Because the AFB is mostly sweet, we burn out on it (and the calories) after about 2 loaves.

[Kim Shook]

14 hours ago, cteavin said:

That's funny. 

 

I'm interested in some 'sourdough' pancakes I saw online but at the same time I'm like, SOURdough PANCAKES and then wondered about AFB because it goes on for years. 

 

So what happened to that starter you were gifted?

I made it a few times and then just let the starter "die".  I didn't know you could freeze it and take a break (thanks so much for that information, @Maison Rustique!) and it is more like cake than bread and we got tired of having it all the time.