You will need the "Amish Friendship Bread Starter" to make Amish Friendship Bread. Do NOT use any type of metal utensils or bowls for mixing, it will interfere with the fermentation process.

Day 1 – Do Nothing (This is the day you receive the starter bag)

Day 2 – Knead the bag

Day 3 – Knead the bag

Day 4 – Knead the bag

Day 5 – Knead the bag

Day 6 – Add 1 c. flour, 1 c. sugar and 1 c. of milk; Knead the bag.

Day 7 – Knead the bag

Day 8 – Knead the bag

Day 9 – Knead the bag

Day 10 – Baking day!! Follow the instructions below:

Pour the entire contents of the bag into a Non-Metal bowl. Add 1 ½ cups flour, 1 ½ cups sugar and 1 ½ cups milk. Beat with electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth.

Measure 1 cup of the mixture into each of 3 (1-gallon) re-sealable plastic bags. (There will be around 2 ½ cups of the starter left in the bowl.) Seal and mark each bag with the date. This is Day 1 of the Amish Friendship Bread instructions.

Keep one starter for yourself and give the other two to friends along with a copy of the recipe to make their own friendship bread. (If you can’t pass it on to a friend on the first day, be sure to tell your friend which day the bag is at when you give it to them.)

Directions for baking the bread:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease the bottoms (not sides) of two 9x5-inch loaf pans. Optional: In small bowl, combine an additional ½ cup sugar and 1½ teaspoons cinnamon; dust the greased pans with ½ of mixture. The second half of this mixture is sprinkled on top of the batter.

To the remaining batter in the bowl add: eggs, oil, milk, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, vanilla extract and vanilla pudding and nuts if using.

Beat with electric mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes or until batter is smooth. Stir in nuts if using.

Pour batter evenly into pans; sprinkle remaining sugar mixture over the top, if desired.

Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean. Cool about 10 minutes; run spatula around edges of pan to loosen loaf. Remove bread from pan; place on cooling rack. Serve warm or cold.

Cook's Note: If you keep a starter for yourself, you will be baking every 10 days. The bread is very good and makes great gifts.

VARIATIONS:

Banana Nut Amish Friendship Bread: Omit cinnamon and vanilla instant pudding from the basic recipe. Add 1 (5.1 oz.) box banana cream instant pudding, two mashed bananas and 1 cup chopped nuts.

Chocolate Amish Friendship Bread: Omit cinnamon and vanilla instant pudding from the basic recipe. Add 1 (5.1 oz) box of chocolate instant pudding, 3 teaspoons cocoa and 1 cup chocolate chips. Bake for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours.

Apple Cinnamon Amish Friendship Bread: Add 1 cup of raisins and 1 small diced apple to the basic recipe.

Butterscotch Amish Friendship Bread: Omit the vanilla instant pudding from the basic recipe. Add 1 (5.1 oz) box of butterscotch instant pudding and 1 cup of butterscotch chips. Bake the cake in a greased 13" x 9" pan.

Lemon Poppy Seed Amish Friendship Bread: Omit vanilla extract, cinnamon, vanilla instant pudding and nuts from the basic recipe. Add 2 teaspoons lemon extract, 1 (5.1 oz.) box lemon instant pudding and 2-3 tablespoons poppy seeds. Bake in a 2-loaf pans or 1-Bundt pan.