Amish Friendship Bread Starter with Recipes

Always use a wooden spoon for stirring the starter. Never use a metal spoon.

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

Day 1:
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 at room temperature until bubbly.

Days 2 through 4:
Stir starter with a wooden spoon.

Day 5:
Stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk.

Days 6 through 9:
Stir starter with a spoon.

Day 10:
Stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Remove 1 or 2 cups to make your first bread, give three cups to friends along with the recipe. Store the remaining starter in a container in the refrigerator and begin the 10 day process over again.

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.

Yields 6 cups starter.

Amish Friendship Fruit Cake

1 (18.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix with pudding in the mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 3/4 cup Amish Friendship Fruit Starter
1 cup chopped pecans
confectioners' sugar (if desired)
Cream cheese frosting (if desired)

Line the bottom of a springform angel food cake pan with wax paper; grease well, then flour.

In large mixing bowl of electric mixer, combine dry cake mix and oil. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well. Add fruit; mix well. Fold in nuts. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 40 minutes, then reduce heat to 300 degrees F and bake 35 to 40 minutes more, or until cake tests done.
Shake pan to loosen cake from sides and let sit 10 minutes.

Lift the center of the pan out and turn cake onto cake plate. Turn cake right-side up before serving. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar if desired, or top with cream cheese frosting. This cake tastes better when cold.

NOTE: You will use from 1 1/2 to 2 cups drained fruit per cake.

Amish Friendship Muffins

1 cup Amish Friendship Bread Starter
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup nuts, chopped
1 cup apples, chopped (optional)
1 cup raisins or 1 cup blueberries (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Liberally grease muffin tins if not using liners.

Combine starter, flour, oil, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, eggs, cinnamon and vanilla extract; stir well. Add nuts. Stir in optional ingredients, if desired. Mix well. Put into muffin tins. Sprinkle each muffin with Topping and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until done.

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup margarine

Mix well and sprinkle over tops of muffins before baking.

Amish Friendship Bread

Chopped apples, mashed bananas, shredded zucchini, shredded carrots, etc. may be added to make the bread of your choice.

2 cups Amish Friendship Bread Starter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dates, pitted and chopped

Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans.

In a large bowl, stir together Amish Friendship Starter, oil, applesauce, sugar, vanilla extract, eggs and milk.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir into the starter mixture. Fold in the chopped nuts, raisins and dates. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans.

Bake for 60 minutes, until a knife inserted comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in pans before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yields 2 loaves.