Starter for Amish Friendship Bread

1 pkg. active dry yeast         2 cups sifted flour

2 1/2 cups warm water         1 T. sugar

1. Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of the warm water in a deep plastic or glass container. Stir in remaining water, flour, and sugar. Beat until smooth. cover with a loose fitting cover. DO NOT REFRIGERATE.

2. The starter requires 10 days for fermentation as follows:

Days 1, 2, 3, 4--Stir batter each day; do not refrigerate.

Day 5--Add 1 cup each of flour, sugar, and milk. Stir.

Days 6, 7, 8, 9,--Stir batter each day.

Day 10--Add 1 cup each of flour, sugar, and milk. Stir.

AMISH FRIENDSHIP BREAD

1 1/2 cups of starter*       2 cups flour

1 cup vegetable oil             2   teasp. cinnamon

1 cup sugar                     1/2 cup milk

1 teasp. vanilla               1/2 teasp. baking soda

3 large eggs                   1 1/2 teasp. baking powder

1 large (or  2 small boxes) insstand vanilla pudding           

Pour into 2 large loaf pans, well greased and dusted with cinnamon/sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour, but check for doneness. I find it usually takes about 45 min.-55 minutes  depending on the size of the pans I use. It also depends somewhat on your oven.  During the holidays I like to make them in mini pans to use in a mixture of home baked goods for Christmas gifts.

Some folks prefer to keep the starter in a plastic bag and then squeeze the bag each day. I have never done it that way. Also, I have never made the starter. Someone gave me starter 15 years ago and I have just kept it going. Over the years, I have discovered that I can freeze the starter when I don't want to make any for awhile. Upon removing it from the freezer you will note that it is not frozen solid due to the sugar. Set it out and when totally thawed stir and call that day one!

Or should you begin again immediately, the day you make cake is also day one if you save some for that purpose. You then just add one cup each flour, sugar, and milk on day five and again on day ten and just stir all of the other days. So the only time you use the yeast, etc, is when you start from scratch and have to make the starter.

This bread (cake) is much like a coffee cake to me.