Friendship Starter
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
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Combine the ingredients in a large deep glass or plastic container. Cover lightly. If the container has a lid, leave it slightly ajar or place a piece of cheesecloth over the container and secure with a rubberband. Store at room temperature. Stir every day for 17 days. On day 18 do nothing. On days 19, 20 and 21 stir. On day 22, stir and add 1cup of flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Stir again. On days 23, 24, 25, and 26 stir. On day 27 add 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of sugar, and 1 cup of milk. Stir. You should now have about 4 cups of starter. Give 2 friends each 1 cup and keep 2 cups for yourself. Use 1 of the two cups in the Amish Friendship Bread recipe and use the other to keep the starter going. When you give the starter away include these instructions:
Keeping a starter going: Do not refrigerate and do not use a metal spoon when stirring the starter. On day 1 (the day you receive the starter), do nothing, On days 2, 3 and 4 stir. On day 5 stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and cup milk. Pour mixture into large glass mixing bowl; cover lightly. The mixture will rise. On days 6, 7, 8, and 9 stir. On day 10 stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk. Stir. Give 2 friends each 1 cup. Keep for yourself 1 cup to make Friendship Bread and one cup to keep the starter going.
Friendship Bread
1 cup starter
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2tsp baking powder
1-1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2tsp salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
Your choice of raisins, chocolate chips, nuts, seeds, apples, dates etc.
Combnie all ingredients and mix well. Place batter in well greased and sugared 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350*F for 45-50 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan.
Sourdough Starter (1 of 2)
A true sourdough starter is nothing more than the flour and milk or water which sits at room temperature for several days and catches live yeast bacteria from the air. Most starter recipes today include yeast as an original ingredient as it is much easier and less time consuming. In addition, many sourdough bread recipes also indicate usage of yeast itself as it does provide a higher rising, lighter loaf.
A sourdough starter should be kept in a glass or plastic bowl which has a tight fitting lid. I recommend a bowl instead of a jar as you can "feed" your starter right in the bowl easily. To make your starter, mix together:
I mix the starter with an electric, hand held mixer on the lowest setting. Cover your starter and place in a warm, draft-free location for 4 to 7 days, gently stirring it once a day. You may notice that the mixture bubbles and in some cases it may even overflow the bowl. This is an indication that you have a healthy starter which should simply be poured off and discarded.
If your starter ever changes colors, to purple, for example, discard and start another one. After allowing your starter to sit for 4 to 7 days it is ready to be used. Take out whatever portion your recipe calls for and put into the machine as you would any liquid ingredient. After removing a portion from the starter, the starter must be "fed". Simply add equal portions of milk or water and flour as was used. For example, if you used 1 cup of starter, replace it with 1 cup of water and 1 cup of bread flour.
Some hints on feeding your starter: always use the same kind of flour. If you used bread flour in your original starter, use bread flour to feed it. Also, alternate between milk and water for each feeding. Since your original liquid ingredient was milk, the first liquid feeding should be with water. If you forget which you used last, that's okay, but try to alternate at least every other time. After feeding your starter, let it sit at room temperature for about one day and then refrigerate.
Basic Sourdough Bread (2 of 2)
1 cup sourdough starter
2 1/2 cups Flour
2 cups warm water
3 3/4 to 4-1/4 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
cold water
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Mix 1st 3 ingredients in 3 qt. glass bowl with wooden spoon until smooth. Cover; let stand in warm, draft-free place for 8 hours. Add 3-3/4 C flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and oil to the mixture in bowl. Stir with wooden spoon until smooth and flour is completely absorbed. (Dough should be just firm enough to gather into a ball. If necessary, add remaining 1/2 C flour
gradually, stirring until all flour is absorbed.) Turn dough onto heavily floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up. Cover; let rise in warm place until double, about 1-1/2 hours. (Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.) Punch dough down; divide into halves. Shape each half into a round, slightly flat loaf. Do not tear dough by pulling. Place loaves in opposite corners of greased cookie sheet. Make three 1/4" deep slashes in each loaf. Let rise until double, about 45 minutes. Heat oven to 375. Brush
loaves with cold water. Place cookie sheet in center of oven; it should not touch the sides of the oven. Bake, brushing occasionally with water, until loaves sound hollow when tapped, about 50 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets; cool on wire racks.
Be sure to let dough rise completely both times - it might take longer than the estimated times given.
