Finally!

Friendship Bread Day 10/10 - Baking Day!

This is the recipe/instruction sheet that I will copy and pass out to my friends with their bags of starter. You can copy and paste it into your own document. If you've been following along, and today is your "day 10", then proceed with the baking instructions below. The bread is so worth the wait! I think I'll do an apple/cinnamon variation with vanilla pudding mix, a couple of grated apples, and some walnuts. For a really decadent version, try chocolate pudding mix, white chocolate chips, and chopped macadamia nuts. I will be giving the starter baggies to the kids' teachers tomorrow, just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. It's nice to give a couple of slices of the baked bread with the starter so they know what to expect. Enjoy!

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Amish Friendship Bread

Copy these instructions before you start for when you are ready to pass the starter on to others. Do not use metal spoons or metal bowls for mixing. Do not refrigerate. As bag fills with gas from fermentation let the gas out, this is normal. Enter the dates below and cross out the days so you don’t loose track. Don’t panic if you go beyond a day or two simply pick up where you left off.

Day 1: Date: ____/____ Do nothing. This is the day you get the starter batter.
Day 2, 3, 4, 5: Mush the bag each day.
Day 6: Date: ____/____ add: 1 C flour, 1 C Sugar, 1 C milk.
Day 7, 8, 9: Mush the bag each day.
Day 10: Date: ____/____

Preheat oven to 325.

Pour the entire contents of the bag into a non-metal bowl and add 1½ C flour, 1½ C Sugar, 1½ Milk. Mix well with a wooden or plastic spoon.

Label four (4) 1 gallon zip top bags with “Day 1” and tomorrow’s date. Measure out 1 C of the batter each of the bags.

To the remaining starter batter in your bowl, add 3 eggs, 1 cup oil, 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 cup milk, 2 cups flour, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, 2 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp salt, 1 5.1 oz box of instant vanilla pudding, and 1 1/2 C chopped walnuts (optional)

Grease 2 large loaf pans and mix up an additional ½ C sugar ½ tsp cinnamon. Dust the greased pans with this mixture. Save some for the top of the bread. Pour the batter evenly into the pans and sprinkle the remaining sugar mixture on top. Bake at 325 for one hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool and remove from the pan.

Keep one of the 4 gallon bags of batter for yourself and pass the other three to your friends, with a copy of these instructions.

VARIATIONS:
Banana - Omit cinnamon. Substitute banana cream pudding for vanilla. Add 2 mashed bananas.
Chocolate - Omit cinnamon and vanilla pudding from the basic recipe and add 1 - (5.1 oz) box of instant chocolate pudding, 3 tsp. cocoa and 3/4 cup chocolate chips. Bake for 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours.
Apple Raisin - add one cup of raisins and one small diced apple.
Lemon-Poppy Seed – Substitute lemon pudding mix for vanilla. Substitute 2-tsp. Lemon extract for vanilla. Omit cinnamon. Add 1/4 cup poppy seed.
Cranberry – Add 1 cup of dried cranberries and 1 tsp orange zest.

This batter is very versatile and can be used to make muffins or bundt cakes, just adjust the baking time accordingly.

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