Every year, I start a batch of Amish Friendship bread before Christmas. When it is time to make the bread, instead of giving away part of the starter, I go ahead and make all five batches of bread. It yields 30 small loaves. I cut nesting tags using my Silhouette Cameo and tie each loaf with baker’s string. We give them to co-workers, neighbors and other friends.
I thought I would share the starter/bread recipe that I use here.
Amish Friendship Bread
Starter
1 pkg active dry yeast
1 cup milk
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup sugar
*Do not use metal bowls or spoons. Do not refrigerate*
Dissolve yeast in small amount of warm water. Mix all ingredients together in ample size bowl (it will grow). Transfer starter to a 1-gallon ziplock bag. This is day 1 of the recipe.
Day1: Do nothing to starter
Day 2: Squeeze bag.
Day 3: Squeeze bag.
Day 4: Squeeze bag.
Day 5: Squeeze bag.
Day 6: (In bag) add 1 cup self-rising flour, 1 cup milk, and 1 cup sugar. Seal bag. Squeeze bag to mix.
Day 7: Squeeze bag.
Day 8: Squeeze bag.
Day 9: Squeeze bag.
Day 10: In a plastic bowl, combine the bag of mix with 1 cup milk, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup self-rising flour. Mix well with spoon. Pour 1 cup of starter in a 1-gallon ziplock bag. Make 3 more bags with 1 cup starter each. Total of 4 bags. Keep 1 bag and give the other 3 bags with this recipe to friends. You will be left with 1 cup of starter in the bowl.
(Bread may be made on day 8, 9, or 10)
2 c. self-rising flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. sugar
1 large box instant vanilla pudding
1 c. chopped nuts (optional)
1 c. oil
1/2 c. milk
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Mix by hand. Grease 6 small loaf pans. Mix 1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon and 3 Tbsp. sugar. Coat bottom and sides of pans with mixture. Fill each pan 1/2 full with batter and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake for 45 minutes at 325° (I use the convection oven at 300°)