Friendship Bread

Friendship Bread - Dough Starter Recipe and Bread Recipe

This is a great recipe that is very versitile.  One of our neighbors gave me a starter and a loaf of bread as a thank you gift for watching their puppy dog over a weekend.  The bread was absolutely delightful.  I tended the starter as called for in the recipe for days 1 through 10 and instead of loaf pans, I use my patterned bundt pans when it was time to make the bread.  The sugared pan gives this bread a wonderful crispy crunch to the outside of the moist, tender inside. 

 

DOUGH STARTER RECIPE     

      DO NOT USE ANY METAL UTENSILS.

Use a glass bowl and wooden spoon.
DO NOT REFRIGERATE

     Ingredients

·    1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

·    1/4 cup warm water (110° F/45° C)

·    1 cups all-purpose flour, divided

·    1 cups white sugar, divided

·    1 cups warm milk (110°F/45°C), divided

Directions
    In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 10 minutes.

    In a 2 quart container (glass), 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.

    Place in a 1 gallon zip lock bag and let stand at room temperature.
    Mixture will be bubbly.

    This begins Day 1.

TENDING ROUTINE

Day 1 to Day 4

“Burp” bag (release the air) reseal and knead bag several times.

Day 5:    Stir in…

·      1 cup flour

·      1 cup sugar

·      1 cup milk

Day 6 to Day 9

“Burp” bag (release the air) reseal and knead bag several times.  

Day 10

·      Place the starter in a non-metal mixing bowl.

·      Stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk.

·      Using 4 zip lock bags, place a cup of the starter in each bag.
·      Keep one bag for yourself.
·      Give the other three to friends along with the recipe. 
·      Now, begin the Day 1 through Day 10 routine.

·      There should be about 2 cups of starter left in the bowl.
That’s what you will use to make your bread recipe below.

BREAD RECIPE
    DO NOT USE ANY METAL UTENSILS.
    Use a non-metal bowl and plastic or wooden spoon.

    Ingredients

·      1 to 2 cups of dough starter left in the mixing bowl,

·      1 cup oil

·      3 large eggs

·      1/2 cup milk

·      1 teaspoon lemon flavoring

·      3 Tablespoons poppy seeds

·      2 cups all-purpose flour

·      1 cup sugar

·      1 large box instant lemon pudding powder (or 2 small)

·      1/2 teaspoon salt

·      1/2 teaspoon baking soda

·      1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Directions
      Preheat oven to 325° F

Grease 2 loaf pans - (I use cooking spray and bundt pans). 

Then dust the inside of the pans with regular sugar.

Combine the above ingredients and mix well.

Pour equal amounts of mixture into the 2 greased and sugared pans.

Bake at 325°F for 1 hour if using loaf pans (40 to 50 minutes for bundt pans) or until knife inserted comes out clean.  Cool for about 15 minutes and remove from pans.

VARIATIONS:

Variations are as endless as your imagination:

·      Coconut Pudding, add coconut and well drained pineapple tidbits

·      Chocolate pudding, add chocolate chips and nuts

·      Banana pudding, add some ripe, mashed bananas

·      Vanilla pudding, add 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 cup nuts and dust pans with
cinnamon sugar