Amish Friendship Bread

This must be my favorite sweet bread loaf thingy.  The best thing about this bread is that it’s so sweet and fragrant, yet tender and flaky.  The worst thing is having to wait for someone to give you the starter, in order to make it and then having to wait 10 days to bake and eat it!!  It’s definitely a lesson in delayed gratification.

I know, I know some of you smarty-pants out there will tell me that there’s a recipe for the starter.  I’m just too lazy to start it.  I want someone else to do the work and just hand me a bag of the gooey starter dough.  Is that really too much to ask?

Amish Friendship Bread

–  Days 1 through 5 – squeeze bag and let air out. (batter does not require refrigeration).

–  Day 6 – add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk.

–  Days 7 through 9 – squeeze bag and let air out.

–  Day 10 – in non-metal bowl, combine starter batter and

• 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, and 1 cup milk.

• Pour 4 – 1 cup starter into 4 zip-lock bags to give away to friends

• To remaining batter (in a bowl) add

–  1 cup oil – 1 cup sugar – 1/2 cup milk – 1 tsp. vanilla – 3 eggs

• Mix well

• Then add:

– 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder – 1/2 tsp. salt – 2 cups flour – 1/2 tsp baking soda – 2 tsp. cinnamon – 1 large box vanilla instant pudding – Mix well.  Pour into 2 greased loaf pans and bake 60 min. at 350.