No metal with friendship bread?

[Angie]

Just curious, why can you NOT use metal with friendship bread or the starter? Everything says NO metal bowls or utensils. This drives me nuts because I end up with flour chunks in my bread!

[Michael in FtW]

Originally Posted by Angie

Just curious, why can you NOT use metal with friendship bread or the starter? Everything says NO metal bowls or utensils. This drives me nuts because I end up with flour chunks in my bread!

Not sure, Angie - but every recipe for a sourdough starter (which is what you are making) I have ever seen says to use glass, crockery or plastic and stir with a wooden or plastic spoon. Probably has something to do with the fermentation going on ... but I'm not sure why - and apparently is mainly a factor once the wet and dry components come together. Look at your recipe for the starter - it says to "sift" the dry ingredients, it also tells you how to mix the wet and dry to prevent the flour lumping on you.

To make your bread you might try this (this is one of the best sites I have found for reference for Amish Friendship bread and variations to the basic recipe):

Mix your starter and the other wet ingredients in one bowl, and sift and mix your dry ingredients in another bowl. Add the the dry ingredients to the wet a little at a time (in 4-5 installments) mixing well to incorporate after each addition. This should help get rid of your lumps problem.

[Angie]

Thank you! I'll try that next time around. The last time, I just strained my starter through a *gulp* metal strainer and then made the bread. It was nice and lumpless!

[desertland]

I think the metal kills the yeast somehow... (but don't have a source on that or any confirmation; that's just what I've heard) :-)

[Gretchen]

It has to do with acid. YOu can use the strainer. You can also use a whisk to get lumps out.

[Aurora]

Any bread dough that is acidic (sourdough, buttermilk, etc.) can react with metal utensils and metal mixing bowls. This is not a problem for mixing or sifting the ingredients, but when you leave the dough in the bowl for hours to rise you can get pitting of metal bowls or utensils and occasionally a metallic taste can be imparted to the bread dough. This no metal rule applies especially to the sourdough starter which is left for days in the container.

[Angie]

Thanks everyone for all your info!

[JMediger]

I've stored my starter in zippie bags but I do use my stand mixer when mixing to bake - never had any adverse reactions or bad tastes. However, I'm not leaving for any longer than just mixing then it goes into the pans. Now that I'm thinking about it though, I do bake them in the disposable tin (aluminum?) pans. I give it for gifts alot - part to just be rid of it and part because people like it - so the disposable pans work well for that reason.
Hmmm ... Do others bake theirs in glass pans?

[Angie]

Originally Posted by JMediger

I've stored my starter in zippie bags but I do use my stand mixer when mixing to bake - never had any adverse reactions or bad tastes. However, I'm not leaving for any longer than just mixing then it goes into the pans. Now that I'm thinking about it though, I do bake them in the disposable tin (aluminum?) pans. I give it for gifts alot - part to just be rid of it and part because people like it - so the disposable pans work well for that reason.
Hmmm ... Do others bake theirs in glass pans?

I've always used glass pans.

[JMediger]

Huh ... very interesting. Next time I get some starter I'll have to use glass and see if there is a difference.