Friendship Bread Starter, Care of, and Bread Recipe

To make starter...

Ingredients

* 1 (0.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
* 1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
* 1 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 cups white sugar
* 1 cups milk

Directions
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 10 minutes. In a 2 quart container glass, plastic or ceramic container, combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or flour will lump when milk is added. Slowly stir in 1 cup milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Cover loosely and let stand at room temperature until bubbly. Consider this day 1 of the 10 day cycle. For the next 10 days handle starter according to the following instructions.

Instructions for Starter...

Day 1: Receive the starter

Day 2: Stir (if in a bowl) or mash the bag (if in a Ziploc)

Day 3: Stir (if in a bowl) or mash the bag (if in a Ziploc)

Day 4: Stir (if in a bowl) or mash the bag (if in a Ziploc)

Day 5: Stir (if in a bowl) or mash the bag (if in a Ziploc)

Day 6: Add 1 cup each flour, sugar and milk.

Day 7: Stir (if in a bowl) or mash the bag (if in a Ziploc)

Day 8: Stir (if in a bowl) or mash the bag (if in a Ziploc)

Day 9: Stir (if in a bowl) or mash the bag (if in a Ziploc)

Day 10: Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Divide into 4 containers or Ziploc bags of 1 cup each for three of your friends. Keep one for yourself (if you want to start the process over ~ if not give all bags to friends) and give a bag to two friends with the instructions for Day 1 through Day 10 and the following recipe for baking the bread. A nice touch is to give them a few slices of the bread as well.

DO NOT use metal bowls or utensils as the metal does react with the batter.

To make bread...

Ingredients

Remaining starter after the 4 cups have been separated

2 cups of flour

1 3/4 cup sugar

2/3 cup milk

1 cup vegetable oil or 1/2 cup vegetable oil & 1/2 applesauce

3 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

4 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 small pkg. instant vanilla pudding (you can use any pudding flavor and you can substitute sugar free)

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional (you can even try dried fruits, chocolate chips, etc.)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Add oil to bowl with remaining starter mixture along with eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. Stir until well combined; set aside.

In another large bowl, mix together remaining 2 cups flour, 1 cup of sugar, baking powder, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, salt, baking soda, pudding, and nuts, if desired. Add dry ingredients to starter mixture and stir until well combined. Divide batter evenly between two 8-by-4-by-2 1/2-inch loaf pans.

In a small bowl, mix together remaining 3/4 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon (if using other pudding flavors such as chocolate you may want to omit the cinnamon); sprinkle evenly over batter. Transfer to oven and bake for 1 hour. Let cool 15 minutes before removing from the pan.

My favorites are to use the banana cream pudding, no nuts, no cinnamon and butterscotch pudding, no nuts, no cinnamon ~ YUMMY!