Amish Friendship Bread

I am sitting here in the office, looking out the window on a gloomy day. Wafting in from the kitchen is the mouth watering scent of Amish Friendship Bread baking. This bread is pretty much the chain letter in the baking world and really doesn't have anything to do with the Amish. Perhaps it's the fact that the Amish often pass loaves of home made sour dough bread to sick friends/loved ones?- or so I've heard. ;) Regardless it is delicious stuff. An interesting side note is that in Germany they make similar thing called Hermann Cake.  This is truly more a cake than bread.  Basically a cinnamony coffee cake/pound cake.

Tradition lends that you receive a batch of the starter, typically in a gallon ziploc bag. After that you pretty much do nothing to it but squeeze it and let the air out once ever day. On the fifth day you add some milk, flour, and sugar and then do the same thing for five more days. On the tenth day you are ready to bake your bread, but you in turn get enough starter to bake two loaves then, plus give your self and three friends a starter.

AND

Luckily I was lucky enough to receive a batch of starter (THANKS MARCIE LOVE), but if you really wanna make this bread and do not have that option, no biggie. Here is a recipe to whip up your own batch of starter.

• 1 pkg yeast, just a regular pkg....like the ones that come in strips of three, cut off one of those
• 1/4 c water, luke warm
• 1 c flour
• 1 c sugar
• 1 cup milk

Dissolve yeast in water. Let stand for about 10 minutes. Mix flour,sugar, and milk. Add to the yeast. Cover. This is your starter for day 1.

AMISH FRIENDSHIP BREAD 

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

Do not refrigerate

It is normal for it to ferment and rise and bubble. Air will get in the bag. Open the bag and let it out, and reseal.

• DAY 1: Do nothing. Day you receive the batter
• DAY 2: Squeeze the bag.
• DAY 3: Squeeze the bag.
• DAY 4: Squeeze the bag.
• DAY 5 Squeeze the bag.
• DAY 6: Add 1 cup each: flour, milk, and sugar. Squeeze the bag.
• DAY 7: Squeeze the bag.
• DAY 8: Squeeze the bag.
• DAY 9: Squeeze the bag.
• DAY 10: Squeeze the bag, and follow these directions:

Pour the contents of the bag into a large bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups each to the bowl: flour, sugar, and milk. Mix together well. 
Divide the starter into four separate bags, about 1-1 1/2 cups each bag. 
Keep one bag for your self, and give the other three to friends with a copy of the recipe.
To the remaining starter in the bowl, it should be about 1 1/2 cups, add the following:

• 3 eggs
• 1/2 c milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 large box INSTANT Vanilla pudding box
• 1 c veggie oil
• 2 c flour
• 1 c sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325.
Grease two large loaf pans. I just spray mine with butter flavored Pam and it works fine.
In a small bowl get about 1 cup sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon. Mix it up. Sprinkle half of it in the bottom the pans. Tap it all around the pan to coat it all in the sugar mix. MMMM :o)
Reserve the other half for the top of the bread.
Pour the batter into pans and top with sugar.
Bake for 40-60 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.