essential kitchen tools

Amish Friendship Bread

Amish Friendship Bread is like a baking chain letter. It's also a great holiday bread because of its inherent connection with the act of giving, and makes a great homemade Christmas present. Here's how it goes: A friend gives you a cup of yeast culture (also known as "starter") and a copy of instructions on what to do. Following the instructions, you add sugar, flour and milk and the bread rises. Eventually, you end up with 4 cups of the starter. You use one to make bread (the instructions provide you with a recipe), keep one to start a new cycle and give two to your friends. Each of your friends also gets a copy of the instructions for what to do with the yeast starter. Then your friends can make their own breads and continue the chain of giving to their friends. This is why the bread is called "friendship bread". Keep in mind it takes 10 days to prepare the Amish Friendship Bread starter.

Make the Bread Starter:

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 10 minutes.

In a 2 qt container glass, plastic or ceramic container, combine 1 c.flour and 1 c. sugar. Mix thoroughly or flour will get lumpy when the 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. 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. 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 an 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).

Make Amish Friendship Bread:

To the starter, (a little over one cup) of the batter, add the first 4 recipe ingredients and mix well.

In a separate bowl combine the remaining dry ingredients and mix well.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well. Add fruits or chocolate chips if using. Pour into two well greased and sugared bread pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.