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Cinnamon Friendship Bread


Remember those friendship bread starters that were shared with all your friends in the 70's? It got to be so bad that you would dread friends appearing at your door bearing a little bag of starter and you would think to yourself, oh no here we go again. Although I must say I really did enjoy the taste of that wonderful bread. This reminds me of that bread except this one doesn't need a starter. Instead I would suggest you just give the loaves away instead of going through the long process, unless you like the idea of waiting 10 days for the starter to be ready. Your friends might just appreciate being gifted a loaf of the bread right in the tin with a bow instead of a bag of starter, just sayin'.

Batter:
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup buttermilk
Sugar/Cinnamon topping:
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup of nuts or raisins (optional)
  1. Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in egg, and vanilla.
  2. In a separate bowl whisk together flour and baking soda. Add dry mixture alternately with buttermilk to creamed mixture until blended.
  3. In a small bowl mix together sugar, cinnamon, and nuts or raisins if using.
  4. Divide half the batter into 3 tins (540 ml size). Make sure you have removed the paper from the tins, washed them well and that they are well greased.
  5. Fill each tin half full of the batter and sprinkle a tablespoon of the sugar/cinnamon mixture on top.
  6. Add the other half of the batter, dividing evenly in each tin and sprinkle the rest of the topping over each one. Swirl batter with a knife.
  7. Bake on lowest rack in the oven in a 350ยบ oven for 40 minutes, test with a toothpick to check if done.
  8. Now go ahead and enjoy and share with a friend or two.

22 comments:

  1. Could this recipe be made gluten free by exchanging the 2 cups flour with 2 cups of gluten free flour (store bought pre-mixed)? I am just learning to bake differently since a granddaughter was diagnosed and needs to eat gluten free. Thanks for your help.

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    1. Hi Anonymous ... you could substitute a pre-mix gluten free flour -- an all purpose one would probably work best -- and make sure it already has xanthan gum added or add 1/2 tsp of your own. Hope that works for you !

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    2. Hi Julie....I am going to have to try this!! Have you tried to convert the 10 day starter to gluten free?? If so how did that turn out? I have celiac disease so I am enjoying your recipes!

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    3. Hi Anonymous ... are you looking over my shoulder ?? smile ... I have on my counter a growing gluten free starter -
      I'm working on creating gluten-free sourdough bread .. I will be posting my experience with it soon !

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  2. I would love some of that right now!! It looks so delicious and moist.

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  3. Your version looks wonderful and sane! Gotta love that Friendship Bread. Back in the day when I was still working in an office, there were always one or two times during the year that Friendship Bread starter seemed to take over the staff refrigerator. Because of that, it came to be known as "Tribble Bread." You need to have some knowledge of Star Trek to figure that nickname out :-). RLanotte

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  4. Sure glad to know that "friendship bread" and "chain letters" are part of history. Let's hope they don't become vintage and cool once again. Your loaf looks yummy!

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  5. They look great , and so easy !! Could you please tell me what size cans you used, and if you have tried other pans.

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    Replies
    1. This time I used 540ml /19oz. pie filling cans. I have used a loaf pan and back in the 70's when I was baking these often I used different sized tins..just adjust baking time for different sizes.

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    2. Thanks for asking, Maxine! It would be really helpful if people posting recipes - on ANY food websites, not just this one - would remember that not all measurements are universal and not everybody knows the multiple translations into amounts!

      And thanks to MGCC for posting this recipe. I've done the round of waiting for Friendship Bread Starter to kick in and start and vowed I'd not bother again!

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  6. I have a friend who just broke her arm and was thinking I would like to take her something. I think I have found it! Thanks so much. Bernice J

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    1. Great idea! I have two elderly friends for whom I am a Caring Friend of this retirement community; I like to take something for them when I visit. This will be great to take for them; I will slice it before I take it.

      Love cookbooks - check this particular one first thing each morning as it arrives in my inbox!

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  7. Boy they look delicious. However, I seem to remember an article stating it's dangerous to use tin cans to bake due to lead in the soldered seams. Have you by chance come across such information?

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    1. And also I'd be wary of BPA that is used to line tin cans...very cute idea though!

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  8. Tins that have had food in them do not use solder and so are safe. Unsafe ones have like a coating inside.

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  9. I guess canning jars could be substituted for the cans?

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  10. I baked these this evening in loaf pans. Really quick and easy and taste great!!!! I'll keep some cans for next time, like round
    thickness of them. Thanks Betty this recipe is a keeper !!!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Maxine for letting us know that your bread turned out great! I like the round slices as well.

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  11. I am so happy to see this recipe. Years ago, I had a friendship starter that was shared between a few of my neighbors. We have since all moved to different parts of the world. Our similar version was baked in metal coffee cans, which are pretty hard to find these days. Mostly everything is made of plastic. This will be an excellent replacement for that recipe and method and I will be including it in my Super Bowl menu.

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  12. Can canning jars be used for this recipe?

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  13. Do you use all-purpose or self-rising flour?

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