A year ago I got a memorable Christmas gift. A friend of mine gave me what appeared to be a zip lock bag with pancake batter in it. It was a cup of Amish bread starter and it came with instructions on how to keep it “alive”. Years ago I had tried to establish the Amish baking tradition and it was too hard. It took eight days of stirring and two days of “feeding” so that on the tenth day I could bake “Friendship Bread”. The instructions said to share 2 or 3 starts with friends so they can bake bread every ten days too. That was the hard part for me, finding someone who really wanted to bake that often.
I accepted the gift with a smile and a thank you. My mother use to tell me, “If at first you don’t succeed try, try again.” I decided to give Amish bread another try but this time make the recipe healthier. I cut out half of the fat and used whole wheat flour. Adding grated apples made the bread moist and delicious. Baking it in mini loaves made for smaller portions. After all the changes, my bread was more like a muffin than a dessert. Those watching their sugar intake could eat it without feeling guilty and my family loved the new recipe.
My friends are the reason I keep making Amish bread. Gerrie is a neighbor who lost her husband this past year and now lives alone. She likes my bread and even asked me for a starter. Giving her bread saves her the hassle of making her own. My friend, Phoebe, had a stroke several years ago and relies on her husband to cook their meals. Friendship bread it a treat that she and her husband really appreciate. Then there is sweet Cleo, 90 years old and restricted on what she can eat. When I deliver a loaf of bread to her she seems overjoyed to get it. It makes me happy seeing her eyes light up and her bright smile as she says “thank you” several times.
This month I will be baking more than every ten days. I have a freezer full of Amish starter that I never gave away and a list of friends I like to remember at Christmas time. If any of them like the bread and want to try baking it, I will gladly give them a starter, recipes and the instructions. I will also give them a warning that they might become addicted to it and feel like a slave spending so much time baking and washing dishes. They can weigh the pros and cons and then decide if giving a gift of friendship is really worth it.
Amish Apple Friendship Bread
Marilyn Atwood
3 cups flour (half whole wheat) *
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup oil
4 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk *
3/4 cup applesauce
1 1/2 cups grated apples
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups Amish Friendship Bread starter
1 large box instant vanilla pudding (3/4 cup) *
Grease three 9x5 inch loaf pans or 7 mini loaf pans. Mix 1/2 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Dust the greased pans with half of the mixture. Set aside the rest to be used later. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside. In a large non metal mixing bowl combine sugar, oil and eggs. Use a large wooden spoon to stir. Add milk, applesauce, grated apples and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients. Add Amish starter and vanilla pudding. Stir just until blended. Pour into prepared loaf pans. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cinnamon and sugar mixture. Bake at 350 degrees: large loaves for about 50 minutes and mini loaves about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Cool completely on a wire rack then wrap in plastic wrap.
* I use food storage items so I can rotate my wheat, powdered milk and large cans of pudding.
