Amish Friendship Bread

I was recently given a couple of "starters" for this bread and it is REALLY yummy! I found a recipe for the starter on AllRecipes.com and thought I would share the recipe for this delicious treat with you...

Amish Friendship Bread Starter:

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 3 cups white sugar, divided
• 3 cups milk

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 10 minutes. In a 2 quart container glass, plastic or ceramic container, combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or flour will lump when milk is added. Slowly stir in 1 cup milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Pour into a gallon-size plastic ziplock bag. Consider this day 1 of the 10 day cycle. Do not refrigerate. Continue with directions below:

Amish Friendship Bread

Do not use any type of metal spoon or bowl for mixing (the metal will kill the yeast). Do not refrigerate. It is normal for the batter to rise and ferment. Each day you mash the bag, also let out excess air.

Day 1: Do nothing. (This is the day you receive the batter. The bag is dated.)

Day 2: Mash the bag.

Day 3: Mash the bag.

Day 4: Mash the bag

Day 5: Mash the bag.

Day 6: Add to the bag 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk. Mash the bag.

Day 7: Mash the bag.

Day 8: Mash the bag.

Day 9: Mash the bag.

Day 10: Do the following…

1) Pour the contents of bag into a non-metallic bowl. Add 1 ½ cups flour, 1 ½ cups sugar, and 1 ½ cups milk. Stir until smooth.

2) Measure out 4 separate batters of 1 cup each into ziplock bags (1 gallon size). Label the bag with the date (this is “Day 1” above). Keep a starter for yourself and give the others to 3 friends along with a copy of this recipe. (Note: if you keep a starter, you will be baking every 10 days.)

Baking Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2) Add to the remaining batter:

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ cup milk

½ tsp salt

1 cup oil OR ½ cup applesauce + ½ cup oil

½ tsp vanilla

½ tsp baking soda

2 cups flour

1 large box instant vanilla, chocolate or banana cream pudding (5 oz size)

3) Mix 1/2 cup sugar with 1 1/5 tsp cinnamon in a small bowl.

4) Grease 2 large loaf pans. Sprinkle some of the cinnamon / sugar mixture in the pans.

5) Pour the batter evenly into the two loaf pans. Sprinkle remaining cinnamon / sugar mixture evenly over the top.

6) Bake for one hour. Cool until bread loosens from the sides of pan. Enjoy!

Note: You can freeze the starter. Just be sure to label which day it is on so you'll know where you left off when you want to use it. Give it at least 3 hours on the counter to defrost and come to room temperature before you use it.