Amish Friendship Bread


Do not use any type of metal spoon or bowl for making.

Do not refrigerate.

If air gets in the bag, let it out.

It is normal for batter to rise, bubble, and ferment.

 

Day 1: Do nothing; this is your day to receive the batter.

Day 2: Mush the bag

Day 3: Mush the bag

Day 4: Mush the bag

Day 5: Mush the bag

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

Day 7: Mush the bag

Day 8: Mush the bag

Day 9: Mush the bag

Day 10: Follow the instructions below:

 

1. POUR entire contents of bag into a non-metal bowl.

2. ADD 1 1/2 cups of flour, 1 1/2 cups of sugar, and 1 1/2 cups of milk.  Stir with non-metal spoon.

3. MEASURE out four separate batters (1 cup each) into four 1-gallon Ziploc bags.  Keep a starter for yourself and give the other three to friends along with a copy of this recipe.  Should this not be passed on to a friend on the first day, be certain to tell the friend which day the bag is on when you present it to them.  It is helpful to mark the bags.

4. PREHEAT the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. To the remaining batter in the bowl add:
 a. 3 eggs
 b. 1 cup oil (or 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup applesauce)
 c. 1/2 cup milk
 d. 1 cup sugar
 e. 2 tsp cinnamon
 f. 1/2 tsp vanilla
 g. 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
 h. 1/2 tsp baking soda
 i. 1/2 tsp salt
 j. 2 cups flour
 k. 1 large box instant vanilla pudding mix (you may also try banana or chocolate)
 
6. GREASE 2 large loaf pans.

7. MIX together additional 1/2 cup sugar and 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon in small bowl.

8. DUST the greased loaf pans with half of the cinnamon mixture.

9. DIVIDE the batter evenly between the 2 pans and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon mixture.

10. BAKE for 1 hour.

11. COOL bread in loaf pan for 10 minutes.

12. Turn out onto serving dish.

If you keep a starter for yourself, you will be baking every ten days.  So if you give them all away you will have to wait until someone gives you one back.

ENJOY!!!

Shopping list:

Flour: 1 cup on day 6, 1.5 cups on day 10, 2 cups on day 10 for each batch being baked = at least 4.5 cups

Sugar: 1 cup on day 6, 1.5 cups on day 10, 1 cup on day 10 for each batch being baked = at least 3.5 cups

Milk: 1 cup on day 6, 1.5 cups on day 10, .5 cup on day 10 for each batch being baked = at least 3 cups

Eggs: 3 on day 10 for each batch baked

Oil: 1 cup on day 10 for each batch baked

Cinnamon: 2 tsp. on day 10 for each batch baked

Vanilla: .5 tsp. on day 10 for each batch baked

Baking Powder: 1 .5 tsp. on day 10 for each batch baked

Baking Soda: .5 tsp. on day 10 for each batch baked

Salt: .5 tsp. on day 10 for each batch baked

Pudding mix: 1 large box (vanilla/chocolate/banana) for each batch baked

Grease: for the loaf pan (shortening, butter, etc.


Equipment list:

Non-metallic mixing bowl

Non-metallic mixing spoon

4 Friend containers (1-gallon Ziploc bags)

Oven

2 large loaf pans(or use 1 twice)
1 cup, .5 cup, 1 tsp., .5s tsp.


Notes: After dividing off the four new starters, the remaining batter is ~2c.  This means that you could take two of the starters, put them together, and then repeat steps 5 through 12.  This would result in just two spare starters instead of four and four loaves of bread instead of two.  Then you have one starter to keep, and one to give away.  Or you could just bake all the starters and end up with six loaves of bread and no starters.

I figured out a way to modify the 10-day cycle so that you only end up with one new starter instead of four.  So if you run out of people to give the starters you don't have to keep pouring the excess ones down the drain.  Basically on day 6 and on day 10 step #2, you reduce the ingredients by 1/3 each.  So on day 6 it's "add 2/3 cups of each thing", and on day 10 step #2 it's "add 1 cup of each thing".  Then for day 10 step #3, you just take away between 2/3 - 1.0 cup worth of starter to be the next generation.  Then follow steps 4 - 12 normally.