Taste & Create XXII: Amish Friendship Bread

My favorite food blog event is here again! Nicole of For the Love of Food created this fun event, in which participating food bloggers are randomly paired off, to try and blog about one of their partner's recipes.

For this month's Taste & Create, I was paired with Carol of No Reason Needed. I was completely tempted by her Funnel Cakes recipe, but my new kitchen isn't finished and I didn't want to make a mess on the unfinished pine floors. Yet!

I was also intrigued by Carol's Amish Friendship Bread and bread starter. Since Number One and I got into making thing with sour dough, I decided it would be fun to try this new starter and see what happened. I followed the starter instructions for stirring, adding things, not stirring, fairly faithfully, until the 10th day came and went. And the 11th. And the 12th. On the 13th day, after not really touching the starter since day 11, I stirred it up and hoped for the best, and proceeded with the recipe.

The bread turned out sadly UNphotogenic, but delicious! It was done after just one hour at 325 degrees (Carol's recipe said 324 degrees, but I kept forgetting to ask about it so I just opted for the standard 325, thinking it could be a typo?) I was in sort of a hurry to get the loaves out of the pans, so they were a bit messy. I'm sure if I had waited about 10 minutes before turning them out, they would have turned out much better, and probably much prettier.

I also froze more than 1/4 cup of dough, because I couldn't wrap my head around the math: you start with 3 cups of ingredients, then later you start with only 1/4 cup? And it still makes two loaves? I guess I'll have to try it and see what happens, but I'm sure I have almost a whole cup of batter in the freezer right now, so I'll definitely try it again.

This is going to be wonderful with coffee in the morning, it is sweet, somewhat light but the top edges are nicely crunchy and chewy. Yum!


Amish Friendship Bread
Makes 2 loaves

NOTE: DO NOT use metal utensils or bowls for this recipe & do not refrigerate prior to baking.

Starter
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk

1. Dissolve yeast in water. Let stand ten minutes.
2. In 2 quart glass, ceramic, or plastic container (remember: no metal!) combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or the flour will lump when milk is added.
3. Slowly stir in milk and dissolved yeast mixture.
4. Cover loosely and let stand at room temperature till bubbly.

NOW YOU MAY PROCEED WITH THE RECIPE....

DAY
1 - receive starter batter
2- STIR
3- STIR
4 -STIR
5 -add one cup each flour, sugar, and milk; mix well
6 -STIR
7 -STIR
8- DO NOTHING
9- DO NOTHING
10 - add 1 cup each of flour, sugar and milk. Mix well. Put 1/4 cup batter in small dish and freeze for next time you may wish to make this recipe.

Bread
To your remaining batter add:
1 cup sugar
1 cup oil
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 pkg vanilla instant pudding (4 serving size)

Mix well.

Mix together 3 tsp. cinnamon & 1/2 cup brown sugar. Set aside. Grease 2 large loaf pans. Pour 1/4 batter in each. Sprinkle 1/4 sugar mixture on top of each. Pour remaining batter on top of each loaf & sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture. Swirl with knife for marble effect. Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hrs at 325 degrees until done. Cool.