We got a 22-pound turkey and while we were hoping everything would go smoothly without any flaws, it did...except for the turkey...
After following the guidelines and letting it roast in the oven for several hours, the temperature probe said it was done! Until my dad started carving slices and found a giant section of PINK!
At least now we will remember this story for years to come, and our turkeys will always be done :)
We had quite a few family members come in from out of town for Thanksgiving and my mom wanted to have a nice brunch for them on Friday before they left. She said she would be making Amish Friendship Bread and I couldn't contain my excitement. I don't know the last time we had this bread, but it was just as good as I remembered.
The hardest part about making this is getting the starter for it. It is very simple to do, as long as you follow the 10-day cycle. Then, when you are all finished with the starter, you can pass it on to your friends so that they can make the bread or they can start all over again with their own starter!
In "The Amish Cook," Elizabeth Coblentz described this recipe as "Just sourdough bread that is pass around to the sick and needy." While the first recipe was posted on the internet in 1990, this recipe itself is decades old!
(Bread Starter will take 10 days from the beginning)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 2 loaves of bread
Ingredients:
- 1 cup starter (see below for starter ingredients)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 large instant vanilla pudding mix
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking baking powder
- Cinnamon/sugar, for sprinkling on top (I use a mix of 1/2 cup sugar; 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and sugar two loaf pans. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients (except for cinnamon/sugar mixture) with an electric mixer. Pour into prepared loaf pans.
- Sprinkle tops with cinnamon/sugar. Bake for 55 minutes, or until tops are golden and inside is set. You can test this with a toothpick - if it comes out clean, it's done!
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan and transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy!!
Starter Ingredients & Directions:
NOTE: Do not refrigerate at any time - keep in a warm place.
Day 1: In a large glass bowl, combine:
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup warm water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 package active dry yeast
Days 2, 3, 4, 5: Stir and allow to sit.
Day 6: Add and mix well:
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup sugar
Day 7, 8, 9: Stir and allow to sit.
Day 10: Add and mix well:
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup sugar
This makes about 5 cups of starter (good for 5 recipes as shown above). Use 1 cup of starter for each bread recipe. Here's where you can separate the starter into 4 1-cup bags and give to friends with a copy of this recipe!
Your friends can either make the bread above with the starter that you give them, or they can use the starter you gave them and start over with Day 1!