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Friendship Bread

• Starter

  • 2 cups flour (either unbleached or all-purpose)
  • 2 cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
  • 1 package active dry yeast
  • 2 cups milk, divided
  • 2 cups unbleached or all-purpose flour, divided
  • 2 cups sugar, divided

• Directions

  • Day 1: In a glass or ceramic bowl, combine first three ingredients thoroughly. Leave on counter, uncovered; do not refrigerate.
  • Days 2, 3 and 4: Once a day, stir well with wooden spoon.
  • Day 5: Feed the starter by adding 1 cup each of milk, flour, and sugar. Stir thoroughly.
  • Days 6, 7 and 8: Once a day, stir with a wooden spoon.
  • Day 9: Feed the starter by adding 1 cup each of milk, flour, and sugar. Stir thoroughly.
  • Days 10 and 11: Once a day, stir with a wooden spoon.
  • Day 12: The starter is now ready to use or to be shared with friends.
• • Yields: Makes 4 cups

• Basic Recipe

  • 1 cup friendship starter
  • 2/3 cup oil (or substitute 1/3 cup oil and 1/3 cup applesauce)
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 (5.10 oz) box instant vanilla pudding
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup chopped nuts

• Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. Lightly coat 2 bread pans with cooking spray and sprinkle generously with granulated sugar.
  3. In a large bowl, combine starter with oil, milk, vanilla and eggs until well blended.
  4. In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients, except nuts, and mix well.
  5. Add dry ingredients to starter mixture, a portion at a time, until well blended. Stir in nuts.
  6. Divide batter evenly between the two bread pans, and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.
  7. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely.
• • Yields: Makes 2 loafs
  
  

• Variations: Variations of this recipe are limited only by your imagination, but here are just a few that others have tried.

  Lemon-Poppy Seed: Use lemon pudding instead of vanilla pudding, and lemon extract instead of vanilla extract, eliminate the nuts and cinnamon, and add 1/4 cup poppy seeds. Bake in muffin tins, for 20 to 25 minutes at 400 degrees.

  Lemon-Coconut: Use lemon pudding instead of vanilla pudding, use lemon extract instead of vanilla extract, and add 2 cups coconut. Eliminate cinnamon, and nuts.

  Lemon-Walnut: Use lemon pudding instead of vanilla pudding, use lemon extract instead of vanilla extract, eliminate cinnamon, and add 1 cup chopped walnuts.

  Banana Nut: Use banana pudding instead of vanilla pudding, and add 2 ripe bananas, mashed.

  Chocolate Delight: Use chocolate pudding instead of vanilla pudding, reduce the cinnamon to 1 teaspoon or eliminate altogether, add 1 cup chocolate chips, or 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup coconut.

  Zucchini Bread: Add 1 cup finely grated zucchini to the basic recipe (baking time may need to be increased by as much as 15 minutes)

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