Ingredients:

  • Full remaining Amish Friendship Bread Starter (typically 4-5 cups)
  • 1 cup All-Purpose (Plain) Flour (for starter feed)
  • 1 cup Granulated Sugar (for starter feed)
  • 1 cup Whole Milk (for starter feed)
  • 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar (for swirl)
  • 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon (for swirl)
  • 1 cup Reserved Amish Friendship Bread Starter (for batter)
  • 1 ½ cups All-Purpose (Plain) Flour (for batter)
  • 1 cup Granulated Sugar (for batter)
  • 2 Large Eggs (room temperature)
  • 1/2 cup Neutral Oil (Canola or Grapeseed)
  • 1/4 cup Whole Milk (for batter)
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Soda (Bicarbonate of Soda)
  • 1/2 tsp Fine Sea Salt
  • 1 cup Powdered Sugar (Icing Sugar) (for glaze)
  • 2 Tbsp Whole Milk or Heavy Cream (for glaze)
  • 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract (for glaze)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease and lightly flour two standard 9x5 inch loaf pans, or line them with parchment paper slings for easy removal.
  2. Mix the Swirl: In a small bowl, combine the 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 2 tsp ground cinnamon. Set aside.
  3. Feed the Starter: Pour the entire starter into a large mixing bowl. Add the 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk (Ingredients I). Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon or spatula until fully combined.
  4. Divide and Reserve: Immediately measure out 1 cup (240 ml) of the newly fed mixture and set aside for the bread batter (Ingredient III).
  5. Distribute the Rest: Divide the remaining starter mixture equally into four separate, labelled containers (three for sharing/gifting and one for the baker to save for the next cycle).
  6. Combine Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the reserved 1 cup of starter, the 1/2 cup neutral oil, the 2 eggs, 1/4 cup milk, and 1 tsp vanilla extract until uniform.
  7. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate small bowl, whisk together the 1 ½ cups flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  8. Form the Batter: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix; a few streaks of flour are acceptable.
  9. Layer the Loaves: Spoon half of the batter equally into the two prepared loaf pans. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon-sugar swirl mixture evenly over the batter in both pans.
  10. Add Remaining Batter: Gently spoon the remaining batter over the cinnamon-sugar layer. Sprinkle the final half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the top of the loaves.
  11. Bake: Pop the loaves into the preheated oven. Bake for 55–65 minutes.
  12. Check for Doneness: Insert a long wooden skewer or knife into the center; it should come out clean. The tops should be deeply golden brown.
  13. Cool: Allow the loaves to cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then gently lift them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  14. Whisk the Glaze: Once the loaves are cooled (or only slightly warm), whisk the powdered sugar, milk/cream, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add milk one tablespoon at a time until the desired thick, drizzly consistency is reached.
  15. Finish: Drizzle the glaze generously over both loaves. Allow the glaze to set for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.