- Amish Friendship Sourdough Pancakes

Dear Fans of Hounds Who Cook,

Erstwhile gifted to us was a ziplock baggie of Amish friendship bread with a recipe attached. Every day you squish the bag or add flour, according to the regimen listed. On a certain day, you split off 4 quantities of it in new bags and give to friends with the recipe and use the remainder to make a great volume of Amish Friendship Bread yourself - 2 loaves.

This can continue endlessly until you run out of friends and the whole city has been supplied with this growing store of starter,  and your brother Eli is packing a loaf around his middle.

We dogs decided that if it's a starter kept at room temp where flour is added periodically to "feed" it, then it's sourdough, Amish or not. We were, of course, correct, as dogs have a nose for this kind of thing. So to bring a little variety into this situation, we used the starter for Sourdough Pancakes.

We took this recipe from the Sunset Book of Breads, circa 1977, when our girl was still just a pup herself, cooking up what-have-you in the country home of her childhood. We adapted the recipe for hound purposes, otherwise it would be violatorious of copyright and such:

Amish Hound Cakes
(also known as Amish Friendship Sourdough Pancakes)

1/2 cup sourdough starter (aka Amish Friendship Bread batter)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (or white)
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or white)
1 cup sour milk (or buttermilk) (or fresh milk with 1 tsp lemon added to curdle)
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt


Mix starter, flours, and sour milk in a bowl and let sit at room temp 45 min. (or refrigerate overnight).


Beat together eggs, milk and oil. Stir in to flour mixture. Combine sugar, soda and salt and stir in to batter. Let stand 5 minutes. 


Cook on an oiled griddle on medium high heat til pleasantly browned. Serve to friends with real butter and maple syrup. 

Notes from Guthrie: Sourdough cakes tend to be tangier in flavor and but thinner in texture than your usually fluffy breakfast cakes.

Notes from Elias:  We should just do dog recipes from now on since we can't even eat this one. Canines and baking soda don't mix. Keep this on your human plate not in the doggie dish.