Directions for Amish Friendship Bread Starter

DO NOT USE ANY TYPE OF METAL SPOON OR BOWL FOR MIXING!

DO NOT REFRIGERATE BATTER

If air gets in the bag, let it out. It is normal for the batter to rise, bubble and ferment.

Be sure you have all necessary ingredients on hand for day 10!

If you keep a starter for yourself at the end of the 10 days, you should be baking every 10 days.

Day 1 Do nothing. This is the day you receive the better. Go by the date on the bag.
Day 2 Mush the bag.

Day 3 Mush the bag.
Day 4 Mush the bag.
Day 5 Mush the bag.
Day 6 Add to the bag: 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk. Mush the bag.
Day 7 Mush the bag.
Day 8 Mush the bag.
Day 9 Mush the bag.
Day 10 Follow the directions below:

1. Pour the entire contents of the bag into a non-metal bowl.
2. Add 1 ½ cups flour, 1 ½ cups milk and 1 ½ cups sugar.
3. Measure out 4 separate portions of the new batter, 1 cup each, into four 1 gallon Ziploc bags. Keep one starter for yourself and give the other three away with a copy of the recipe. (Remember to mark the date on the bag and let the person know what day to start on.)
4. To the remaining batter in the bowl add 3 eggs, 1 cup of canola oil, ½ cup milk, ½ cup sugar, 2 tsp of cinnamon, ½ tsp vanilla extract, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, 2 cups flour, and 6 oz of vanilla instant pudding.
5. Great 2 loaf pans or 1 bunt pan.
6. In separate bowl, mix ½ cup of sugar and 1 Tbsp of cinnamon. Sprinkle the pans with the cinnamon mixture.
7. Pour the mixture evenly between the two pans. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, remove from pan, and continue to cool on wire rack.

Variations:

If cinnamon bread doesn’t tickle your fancy try these other great Amish Friendship Bread recipes:  Banana Chocolate Chip Friendship Bread, Amish Cinnamon Friendship Bread (with Apples, Raisins and Pecans), Lemon Poppy Seed Friendship Bread, or Chocolate Chocolate Chip Friendship Bread.

Also, at a certain point you run out of people to give the starter too. If this happens you can also cook many breads at one time.  They freeze well and make great gifts for neighbors, family and friends.