Amish Friendship Bread

I got a starter from a really great friend. I've never done this but had been hoping I'd get to. It was so much fun and the kids had a great time squishing the ziplock bag full of goo. When the time came to bake it on Monday I decided to change the recipe up a bit. Instead of vanilla pudding I put in chocolate. I also added a cup of coconut and a cup of walnuts and a 1/2 cup of pecans. It was okay. I'm not a huge fan of loaves and such but I took it with me visiting friends and they said it was good. So there you have it.

Amish Friendship Bread

This is more than a recipe - it's a way of thinking. In our hi-tech world almost everything comes prepackaged and designed for instant gratification. So where does a recipe that takes ten days to make fit in? Maybe it's a touch stone to our past - to those days not so very long ago when everything we did took time and where a bread that took 10 days to make was not as extraordinary as it seems today.

The Recipe

Important Note: Don't use metal spoons or equipment. Do not refrigerate. Use only glazed ceramic or plastic bowls or containers.
day 1:
Do nothing with the starter.
days 2-5:
Stir with a wooden spoon.
day 6:
Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk. Stir with a wooden spoon.
days 7-9:
Stir with a wooden spoon.
Day 10:
Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Stir. Take out 3 cups and place 1 cup each into three separate plastic containers (ziplock bags). Give one cup and a copy of this recipe to three friends.

To the balance (a little over one cup) of the batter, add the following ingredients and mix well.
1 cup oil

1/2 cup milk

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla
In a separate bowl combine the following dry ingredients and mix well:
2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 - (5.1 oz) box instant vanilla pudding

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup nuts
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix and pour into two well greased and sugared bread pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour