Amish Friendship Bread Recipe

How to make it

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• Starter Instructions:
• Note: DO NOT use metal bowls or spoons and DO NOT refrigerate.
• Dissolve yeast in small amount of warm water. Mix all ingredients together in an ample sized bowl or jar (it WILL grow). This is Day 1 of the starter.
• Instructions for completed bread:
• General:
• Do NOT use 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.
• Day 1: This is the day you receive the batter; do nothing.
• Day 2: Squeeze the bag.
• Day 3: Squeeze the bag.
• Day 4: Squeeze the bag.
• Day 5: Squeeze the bag.
• Day 6: Add 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk
• Day 7: Squeeze the bag.
• Day 8: Squeeze the bag.
• Day 9: Squeeze the bag.
• Day 10: Combine in a large bowl: batter, 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk. Mix with wooden spoon or spatula. Pour three, one cup starters in ziplock bags and give them to your friends along with the instructions.
• Add to the batter remaining in the bowl, add all ingredients.
• 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 degrees for 1 hour.
• Optional: Add 1 cup chopped pecans and/or 1/2 cup raisins.
• Variations:
• *Omit cinnamon and vanilla pudding in the basic recipe and add two bananas (mashed)
• *Omit cinnamon and vanilla pudding from the basic recipe and add 1 - (2.1 oz) box of instant chocolate pudding, 3 tsp. cocoa and 3/4 cup chocolate chips. Bake for 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours.
• *Add one cup of raisins and one small diced apple.
• *Omit the vanilla pudding. Add 1 box of butterscotch pudding and 1 cup of butterscotch chips.
• *Replace the vanilla pudding with chocolate and add 1/2 cup each of chocolate chips and coconut.
• *Substitute ALMOND flavoring (NOT Imitation) for the vanilla flavoring and substitute WHITE CHOCOLATE pudding for the vanilla pudding.
• *Use lemon pudding and lemon extract in place of vanilla pudding and vanilla extract. Also add 1/4 cup of poppy seeds. and omit cinnamon and nuts.
• *Omit cinnamon, nuts and vanilla. Use lemon flavored pudding, add 1 tsp. lemon extract and 2 cups coconut.
• *Use banana cream pie pudding and two mashed bananas. I have also added 1/4 cup of chocolate chip to this on occasion.
• *A cup of dried cranberries and a tsp of orange zest, along with a cup of chopped nuts, makes a nice holiday variation to the cake!
• *Add Craisins(dried sweetened cranberries) and chocolate covered raisins to the mix.
• *Add dried apples and caramel instant pudding (makes it like caramel apples).
• *Use 3/4 cup white chocolate chips, 3/4 cup macadamia nuts and cheesecake pudding.
• *Substitute 2 tablespoons molasses for equal amount of sugar and add spices to make gingerbread.
• *Add 1 cup of drained crushed pineapple, 1 cup shredded coconut and pistachio pudding (instead of vanilla).
• *Use 1 small box of orange jello, 1 c. drained mandarin oranges.
• *Use 1 small box of strawberry jello, 1 c. thawed strawberries.
• *Use Cheesecake pudding instead of vanilla pudding and add chopped maraschino cherries (about 6 with some juice). This tastes great and looks very festive.
• *Use different flavors of pudding: bannana, lemon, chocolate, and butter pecan. You can also made it with fruit such as blueberries and raspberries.
• *Add glazed fruit mix with walnuts and almonds. The result is a tasty fruitcake.
• *Use banana cream pudding and shredded coconut.
• *Use coconut cream pie pudding with crushed pineapple.
• *Use cappicino pudding , 1/2 C. chocolate chips and 1/2 C. nuts of choice.
• BASICALLY- You can put anything into the basic Amish Friendship Bread recipe.