FRIENDSHIP BREAD

To make the starter

Ingredients:

•     1 cup sugar
•     1 cup milk
•     1 cup all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Combine the ingredients in a large deep glass or plastic pitcher and cover tightly. Store at room temperature and stir every day with a wooden spoon for 17 days.
2. On day 18 do nothing.
3. On days 19, 20 and 21 stir.
4. On day 22, stir and add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Stir again.
5. On days 23, 24, 25 and 26 stir.
6. On day 27 add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Stir. You will now have 4 cups of starter.
7. Give three friends 1 cup each of the starter in gallon sized Ziploc bags with the below instructions, and keep one for yourself to bake your bread!

 Friendship Bread Instructions

1. Do NOT refrigerate the mixture! Do not use metal spoons or bowls for mixing. If the bag puffs with air, let it out.
2. Day 1 – receive the start
3. Day 2-4 – squeeze the bag
4. Day 5 – add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk to the bag; squeeze to mix
5. Day 6-9 – squeeze the bag
6. Day 10 – baking day! Squeeze the bag, the pour the batter into a glass bowl. To the batter add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk and mix with a wooden spoon. Fill three gallon sized Ziploc bags with 1 cup batter each and give the bags to three friends with a copy of this recipe.

To Bake the Bread

Ingredients

•     1 cup oil
•     3 large eggs
•     ½ cup milk
•     ½ teaspoon vanilla
•     1 cup granulated sugar
•     2 cups flour
•     ½ teaspoon salt
•     ½ teaspoon baking soda
•     1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
•     2 teaspoons cinnamon
•     2 small boxes instant vanilla pudding (3.4 ounces each)
•     1 cup chopped nuts optional
•     1 cup Amish Friendship Bread Starter

Cinnamon Sugar Mixture:

•     1/2 cup granulated sugar
•     1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions

1.     Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2.     In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients.
3.     Mix well.
4.     Spray 2 loaf pans with cooking spray.
5.     Mix ½ cup sugar and 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon into a small bowl. Dust the greased pans with half of this cinnamon/sugar mixture.
6.     Pour the batter evenly into the pans and sprinkle the remaining sugar mixture over the batter.