Those of us of a certain age will well remember this Amish Friendship Bread.
My family loves this bread and I have discovered a few tips through the years that I am happy to share with you.
Here are a few tips when making Amish Friendship Bread. First, you do not have to wait the 10 days, you can mix up the starter and bake 8 loaves right away, and second, you can keep your starter bags and freeze them right after making them to use later. Last, you can mix up the flavor of the bread by using less cinnamon or omitting it altogether and using different pudding flavors such as lemon with lemon extract, chocolate with chocolate chips added, fruits and nuts can also be added such as apples, raisins, pecans and walnuts.
For the starter:
1 package active dry yeast (2 ¼ teaspoon bulk yeast)
2 cups warm water (110 degrees)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
Mix yeast with 1/2 cup hot water and stir until yeast is dissolved. Add remaining water, milk, flour and sugar. Mix until blended. You now have enough batter for 4 portions. Use immediately or portion out and freeze or give away.
Put 1 cup of starter in 3 ziptop bags. Give the 3 bags away to 3 friends with these instructions:
Day 1: You make starter or receive bag (do nothing)
Day 2 through day 5: Mush bag.
Day 6: Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk, 1 cup sugar to bag, Mush.
Day 7 through day 9: Mush bag
Day 10: Pour contents of bag in large bowl, add 1 1/2 cup each of flour, sugar and milk. Measure out 1
cup into 3 zip bags (the cycle keeps repeating). With remaining batter follow instructions for making bread.
For the bread (makes two loaves)
1 cup starter
3 eggs
1 cup oil
2/3 cup milk
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
1 large (or two small) instant vanilla pudding (not sugar free)
Pan and coatings
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
Mix bread ingredients together. Mixture will be lumpy.
Generously grease 2 loaf pans (or mini loaf pans) and coat with cinnamon sugar mixture saving the rest for topping.
Divide the batter between the pans and top each pan of batter with the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake in a 325 degree oven for about one hour. Cool about ten minutes in pan, then remove to cooling racks. The loaves freeze very well.
