Tradtional Amish Friendship Bread

One of my favorite genre's is Amish fiction. I love the culture that the books provide, although I'm sure it is certainly accurate of most I realize that it's all not fun and games and I absolutely respect the Amish and Mennonite cultures and faith. I found this recipe to be very different than the ones I can find online in that it doesn't call for yeast but that you make your own! 

1 cup starter (recipe below)
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 cups unbleached white flour
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teastpoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup raisins, chocolate chips, chopped nuts, dates, and/or apples.

Combine all ingredietns in a non-metal bowl and mix well. Place batter into two well-greased, lightly floured 9 1/2 x 5 1/2 x 3 1/2 baking pans. ( I imagine it's just a loaf pan). Bake at 350 degres for 45 to 50 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Place on a rack to cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans. Cool bread thoroughly on racks before cutting into slices and serving.




Starter
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 cup unbleached white flour

Combine all ingredients in a large, non-metal bowl. Stir with a non-metal spoon. Cover the bowl lightly with plastic wrap. Do not refrigerate. Store at room temperature. Stir mixture every day for 17 days. On day 18, do nothing. On days 19, 20, 21 stir the mixture again. On day 22, stir and add the following ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 cup unbleached white flour

Stir again. On days 23, 24, 25, and 26 stir the mixture. On day 27, add the following ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 cup unbleached white flour

Stir well. You should now have about 4 cups of starter. Give 1 cup of the starter to each of two friends and keep the remaining 2 cups for yourself. Use one cup of the starter to make a loaf of friendship bread. Keep the other cup for your own starter. 


I'm on Day 2! Here's to friendship bread. Since I don't have four friends (close) I plan to make all the loaves and deliver them to my husband's staff and family members. 

I thought I would update with a zig zag tutorial after I'm finished with the quilt and seeing as it's a Christmas gift, I'd really better get crack-a-lackin.