Amish Friendship Bread

 

by: Bobby McDonald

 

You've probably had a friend to offer you a "starter" for Amish Friendship Bread, or, if you're lucky like me, you've had a friend that brought you a loaf already cooked. In a world of "instant gratification" the bread offers a challenge, when it takes 10 days from start to finish. But, possibly, it is our "wake-up" call that we need to slow down and enjoy the simple things in life....in a world where everything comes prepackaged, pre-measured, and out of a box, this recipe is getting in touch with the basic skills of the kitchen and offers a chance to test your ability to wait on something, that is worth the wait!

Amish Friendship Bread is a genuine starter bread, it requires the use of wooden spoons, crock mixing bowls, and basic bread ingredients.

 

 

 

Obtain a "starter" from a friend (or if you don't have access to the starter, use the recipe below).

Day one: place the starter in a crock bowl and cover with a kitchen towel on the kitchen cabinet.

Day 2 :  stir

Day 3 : stir

Day 4 : stir

Day 5 : Add 1 cup each of flour, sugar, and milk.

Day 6 : stir

Day 7 : stir

Day 8 : stir

Day 9 : stir

Day 10: Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk. Divide into four containers, with one cup each for three of your friends and 1 cup for your own loaves. Give friends the instructions for Day 1 through Day 10, and the following recipe for baking the bread.

After removing the 3 cups of batter, combine the remaining cup of Amish Friendship Bread starter, with the following ingredients, in a large crock bowl:

2/3 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 to 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup sugar

2 cups flour

1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Using a wooden spoon or fork, beat by hand the above ingredients, until well blended. You can also add one cup raisins and/or chopped nuts if desired (optional).

Grease two loaf pans with butter, sprinkle with sugar, instead of flour, and pour batter into pans.

Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Cool for 10 minutes, and remove from pans. Makes two loaves of Amish Friendship Bread.

 

 

Amish Friendship Bread Starter

1 pkg active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup white sugar

1 cup warm milk (110 degrees)

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water for about 10 minutes. Stir well.

In a 2-quart crock bowl or plastic container, combine 1 cup sifted flour and 1 cup of sugar. Mix thoroughly or the flour will get "lumpy" when you add the milk.

Slowly stir in the warm milk and disolved yeast mixture. Loosley cover the mixture with a lid or plastic wrap. The mixture will get bubbly. Consider this day 1 of the bread making cycle, or the day you receive the starter.

For the next 10 days, follow the instructions above and bake on the 10th day.

 

 

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