Amish Friendship Bread

(Starter)

1 pkg yeast

1/4 cup warm water

3 cups flour, divided

3 cups white sugar, divided

3 cups milk

Directions

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 10 minutes. In a 2 quart container glass, plastic or ceramic container, combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or flour will lump when milk is added. Slowly stir in 1 cup milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Cover loosely and let stand until bubbly. Consider this day 1 of the 10 day cycle. Leave loosely covered at room temperature.
2. On days 2 thru 4; stir starter with a spoon. Day 5; stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Days 6 thru 9; stir only.
3. Day 10; stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Remove 1 cup to make your first bread, give 2 cups to friends along with this recipe, and your favorite Amish Bread recipe. Store the remaining 1 cup starter in a container in the refrigerator, or begin the 10 day process over again (beginning with step 2).

Instructions to pass along to friends

Do not use any type of metal spoons or bowl for mixing. Do not refrigerate. If air gets into the bag, let it out. It is normal for the batter to rise, bubble, and ferment.

Day 1: Do nothing. This is the date on which you receive the bag. Squish-squash-mush the bag.

Day 2: Squish-squash-mush the bag.

Day 3: Squish-squash-mush the bag.

Day 4: Squish-squash-mush the bag.

Day 5: Squish-squash-mush the bag.

Day 6: Add to the bag 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk. Squish-squash-mush the bag.

Day 7: Squish-squash-mush the bag.

Day 8: Squish-squash-mush the bag.

Day 9: Squish-squash-mush the bag.

Day 10: BAKING DAY! Mix and divide the starter as follows:

Pour entire contents of bag into large non-metal bowl and add: 11⁄2 cup flour, 11⁄2 cup sugar, 11⁄2 cup milk. Measure out 4 separate batches of the starter batter, 1 cup each, into 4 separate Ziplock bags (one gallon size). Keep one for yourself and give the other 3 to friends along with a copy of this recipe/instructions.

Pre-heat oven to 325°. To the remaining batter in the bowl, add:

3 eggs

1 cup Canola oil

1 cup milk

1 cup sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

1⁄2 tsp vanilla

11⁄2 tsp baking powder

1⁄2 tsp baking soda

1⁄2 tsp salt

2 cups flour

1 large box instant vanilla pudding

Grease or butter 2 large loaf pans and mix an additional 1⁄2 cup sugar and 11⁄2 tsp cinnamon. Dust the greased pans with half the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Pour batter evenly into the pans and sprinkle the top with remaining sugar mixture.

Bake for 1 hour. Cool until bread loosens from sides of pan and turn out to serving dish.

If bag isn't passed on to a friend on the 10th day, be certain to tell recipient which day the bag is at when given to them. If you keep a starter bag for yourself, you will be baking every 10 days.