Amish Friendship Bread
Mark K March 16th, 2008
If an Amish person created a chain letter, what would it look like?
That sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, but actually this is a story of a chain letter that I don’t mind passing on because of the spirit of sharing, because I get to bake something, and because I end up with something delicious to eat.
My friend gave me the recipe along with a zip-log bag filled with the bread starter. After 10 days, I’ll end up with some delicious bread, some starter for my new batch of bread, and two bags of starter to pass on to friends.
Like the Amish tradition of barn building, this activity will build community as well as serving a practical purpose. Here are the instructions:
General:
- Do not use a metal spoon or bowl for mixing.
- Do not refrigerate.
- If air gets in the bag, let it out.
- It is normal for batter to thicken, bubble and ferment.
Instructions for each day:
- This is the day you receive the batter, do nothing.
- Squeeze the bag
- Squeeze the bag
- Squeeze the bag
- Squeeze the bag
- Add 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk
- Squeeze the bag
- Squeeze the bag
- Squeeze the bag
- Combine in large bowl: batter, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk. Mix with wooden spoon or spatula. Pour 3 one-cup starters in zip-lock bags. Keep one for yourself and give the other two starters to your friends, along with instructions.
Still on day 10 - to the batter remaining in the bowl, add:
- one cup oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 large box instant vanilla pudding
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Mix. Pour into 2 large, well greased and sugared (mix cinnamon and sugar) loaf pans. You can sprinkle some extra cinnamon and sugar on top. Bake at 325 for an hour (maybe less, crust burns easily). Optional: add 1 cup chopped pecans and/or 1/2 cup cup raisins. May also use chocolate pudding instead of vanilla or 2 small lemon puddings and 1 (or more) tablespoons of poppy seeds.
Enjoy!
- bread baking , cultural diversity
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