I had a friend who gave me this bag of GOO and a recipe. She said it was Amish Friendship Bread and that… a small portion of this mixture has been going on forever and ever. In my mind, I was thinking “Like a bad Virus or Germ travels from one recipient to the next and never ends, and after you get rid of it, it may come back to you.” So those were my thoughts, but then she quickly added how delicious the bread was, once the process is done. So, I, with a little apprehension, took the bag of goo and the recipe and started my 10 day journey to delicious bread. I squished the bag and it’s contents for days, and did the recommended steps to make it perfect. Then on the fateful evening I was to actually prepare and bake it, I opened the bag and it smelled so rancid, so I call my friend and asked, “is this mixture supposed to smell so horrid?” She responded with, “yes, it ferments and that is part of the process, trust me, it will be delicious.” So I move forward with the process and I get half way down the recipe and notice that it calls for 1 1/2 CUPS of Baking Powder. Now, I am thinking, there is NO WAY that is right. I have baked a ton of stuff and it has never called for that much Baking Powder. In fact, I started to think about the last time I actually purchased a new can of Baking Powder and it had been a years, possibly even a full decade. So a cup and a half would be the complete contents of my can. I wanted to call my friend back and make sure, but she was on bed rest for early labor. So, being the great baker I am, I decided to follow the recipe exactly the way it was given to me. But, luckily I had some amazing inspiration to put a cookie sheet under the baking bread, because…guess what happened????? DISASTER!!!! It was smelling so good, so I peeked inside and it was everywhere. It had blown-up inside my oven. My husband comes in and says, “oh my gosh, it smells so good in here, what are you baking?” So I open the oven for him so he, himself, can witness my NOT SO FRIENDLY AMISH FRIENDSHIP BREAD DISASTER!I am really bummed right, because I have been squishing and preparing for this delicious bread for the last 10 days, and now it has just blown up inside my oven!! Anyways, my friend calls in the morning and asks me, in a giggly tone, “how’d your bread turn out?” And I started thinking, “she tricked me, she knew what was going to happen and she TRICKED me. OOOHHHH” But I answer, “well it kinda blew up in my over.” She starts laughing hysterically and apologizes profusely. Her husband had retyped the recipe for her to hand out, and he made the typing error. So, that night, she brought me over a delicious loaf and a new can of baking powder. How nice huh. Next time I am thinking I should take her husband over a plate of chocolate chip cookies that taste like salt, and tell him my recipe called for a cup and half of it. Only teasing, but it is definitely an experience to remember!!

AMISH FRIENDSHIP BREAD RECIPE

1. 1 cup starter (see below for starter recipe) in a glass jar or ziploc bag at room temp (do not refrigerate throughout entire recipe–it’s supposed to ferment so don’t put your nose too close either!
2. Day 1 – Do nothing
3. Day 2 – Do nothing
4. Day 3 – Put starter in glass or stoneware bowl (or large ziploc bag) do not use metal bowls or spoons.
5. Day 4 – Do nothing
6. Day 5 – Do nothing
7. Day 6 – To starter, add: 1 cup milk, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, stir with wooden spoon (if in ziploc bag, smoosh and squish until mixed)
8. Day 7 – Do nothing
9. Day 8 – Stir with wooden spoon (or smoosh and squish)
10. Day 9 – Do nothing
11. Day 10 – Add: 1 cup milk, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour-stir well.  Take 3 portions (1 cup each) and put into ziploc baggies or glass jars and give to friends with recipe.  To remaining starter, add 1 cup oil, 1/2 cup milk, 3 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla.  Stir well.  In separate bowl, combine 2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1.5 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 cup chopped nuts (optional), and 1 large or 2 small pkgs of instant vanilla Pudding mix.  Add flour mixture to wet mixture, stirring well with wooden spoon.  Pour into 2 large loaf pans, greased, floured and sprinkled with cinnamon & Sugar.  Sprinkle cinnamon & Sugar on top also.  Bake at 350°F for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean.

VARIATIONS:

1. Substitute equal parts mashed bananas or applesauce for up to 1/2 the oil.
2. Use lemon or banana pudding (and lemon or almond extract) in place of vanilla.

STARTER RECIPE:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup milk

Directions:

Put in glass bowl or jar or large ziploc bag-stir or smoosh until well blended.  Let stand at room temp for 5 days, stir or smoosh each day.  On day 6 add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, and 1 cup milk, stir or smoosh until blended.   Let stand at room temp for 4 more days, stirring or smooshing each day.   On Day 10 you should have enough for 3 1 cup starters to give away plus 1 to use for your recipe.