Amish Friendship Bread

I have become addicted to this since I received one a few months ago. I have several starters in my freezer right now. There are so many variations on it and you just can't go wrong with any of them. Tonight I made the chocolate version because we have a ward activity at the local watering hole! Dinner and swimming, and since we were asked to bring a dessert I thought this might be yummy and not the same ole cookies and brownies. I also made a glaze of powdered sugar and milk to go on top. Enjoy!!




AMISH FRIENDSHIP BREAD STARTER

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 3 cups white sugar, divided
• 3 cups milk

• 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 until bubbly. Consider this day 1 of the 10 day cycle. Leave loosely covered at room temperature.
• On days 2 thru 4; stir starter with a spoon. Day 5; stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Days 6 thru 9; stir only.
• Day 10; stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Remove 1 cup to make your first bread, give 2 cups to friends along with this recipe, and your favorite Amish Bread recipe. Store the remaining 1 cup starter in a container in the refrigerator, or begin the 10 day process over again (beginning with step 2).

*note*
Once you have made the starter, you will consider it Day One, and thus ignore step 1 in this recipe and proceed with step 2. You can also freeze this starter in 1 cup measures for later use. Frozen starter will take at least 3 hours at room temperature to thaw before using. If you plan on freezing it take one out and just let it sit for the 10 days, not adding the extra 3 cups on the 5th or 10th day, just stir it each day. Then on the 10th day follow the rest of the recipe and the bread will be fine, you just won't have the extra starters to pass out.

So there you go. The starter recipe. If you want variations when making the bread go to this website. (If you plan on passing it out you'll need to copy the recipe from the site to hand out with the starter.)