Amish Friendship Prayer Bread

My sweet friend, Erin, gave me an Amish Friendship Bread starter.  I'm calling it Amish Friendship Prayer Bread because everyday when I mix the dough I say a prayer for her and her family.  The purpose of friendship bread I think is to share delicious homemade bread with others.  It takes 10 days from the day you get the starter until you can bake it.  From each starter you make 4 new starters, one to keep and 3 to give away.  The bread is delicious.  If you want me to share a starter with you, let me know.  Here is the recipe Erin gave me with the starter bag.

Amish Friendship Bread

Do not use a metal spoon or bowl for mixing.
Do not refrigerate.
It is normal for the batter to thicken, bubble and ferment.

Day 1 – This is the day you get the batter, so do nothing.

Day 2 - Squeeze the bag.

Day 3 - Squeeze the bag.

Day 4 - Squeeze the bag.

Day 5 - Squeeze the bag.

Day 6 - Add the 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk to the bag. Squeeze until well mixed.

Day 7 - Squeeze the bag

Day 8 - Squeeze the bag

Day 9 - Squeeze the bag

Day 10 – In a large bowl, combine the contents of the bag, and 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of flour, and 1 cup of milk.  Stir with wooden spoon.  Scoop out four (4) 1-cup starters into separate ziplock bags.  Keep one starter for yourself and give the other 3 to friends with a copy of the instructions.  To the remaining batter in the bowl, add the following:

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

½ t. baking soda

1 ½ t. baking powder

2 t. cinnamon

½ t. salt

1 box instant vanilla pudding

3 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup oil

1 t. vanilla

Nuts and raisins (optional)

Mix well.  Pour into a well-greased and sugared pan (bundt pan or 2 regular size loaf pans).  Sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar on top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.  Cool 10 minutes and remove from pan.

Be creative!  Make a new recipe from every starter.  Here are 2 ideas:

Lemon Poppy Seed – substitute lemon flavoring for vanilla, 2 T. poppy seeds for cinnamon, lemon pudding for vanilla, and leave out the nuts and raisins.

Chocolate Chip – substitute almond flavoring for vanilla, cocoa for cinnamon, chocolate pudding for vanilla pudding, and mini chocolate chips for nuts and raisins.

Baking is so much fun!

 

Before going into the oven