Exploding Non-Denominational Friendship-Limit-Testing Pudding Cake?

It's a little wordy, but definitely conveys the true nature of the stuff.

We had some going around the math department at one time when I was in graduate school, and we called it Exponential Bread.

Culinary Chain Letter from Hell

From a friend that used to live near Lancaster PA, I learned that the Amish love convenience foods. Their diet would make Pritikin explode from his sudden blood pressure. It is all sweet and comfort -- their idea of comfort food, not ours. I wish that I could remember some of the food combos, but they were not appetizing.

Chicklets! You are the best! I will be editing the instruction sheet to use these names.

LC Eileen

Bread, you say? With pudding in it? That tastes like cake?

I'll take it! (I will sub-contract the intensive labor out to Mr. Tall.)

I grew up near Lancaster, PA and always wanted to be Amish. Yeah, I'm a little weird. Anyway.

The Amish eat easy-to-prepare food, yep. I don't know that a recipe with instant pudding in it could be considered truly traditionally Amish, but could I see them making it? Sure. :)

If only I thought I could get away with shipping it to you, Beth!

Sara,

Sooooo maybe the bread isn't Amish, but it's Amish-ish?

LC Eileen

Oh, do I remember Friendship Bread! My mom had some of that when I was a kid, and I have done it myself. It was great for awhile, but then people began looking at me funny when they'd see me coming and would mysteriously disappear if they saw me with my liitle baggies of starter....

Vanilla pudding? Mmmm--never had that kind. Maybe I should come and get some...

Oh! I remember making that. You're right, the worst part is finding someone to give it to. I will guiltily admit that I have been known to (*whisper* throw the extra starter away*/whisper*). I mean, there's a limit to how many people you can pawn the stuff off on.

Somewhere, I think I had a recipe for the starter, too. I should look for Beth....

Hah. I knew it. Here's the recipe for the starter, which makes four cups. Which, I believe, is enough for 1 cup for you and 3 cups to give away (or throw away, if you're like me...)

Exponential Bread Starter

1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
3 cups flour, divided
3 cups sugar, divided
3 cups milk

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 until bubbly. Consider this day 1 of the 10 day cycle. Leave loosely covered at room temperature.

On days 2 thru 4; stir starter with a spoon. Day 5; stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Days 6 thru 9; stir only.

Day 10; stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Remove 1 cup to make your first bread, give 2 cups to friends along with this recipe, and your favorite Amish Bread recipe. Store the remaining 1 cup starter in a container in the refrigerator, or begin the 10 day process over again (beginning with step 2).

The version of the recipe for the bread I have doesn't have pudding in it. So I thought I'd throw it in here, just in case Eileen wants to try something different with the next batch of starter. But you still can't make a sandwich out of it.

Exponential Bread

1 cup Amish Friendship Bread Starter
2/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 2 (9x5 inch) loaf pans.

In a large bowl, combine the Amish bread starter with oil, eggs, 2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix well. Pour into prepared loaf pans.

Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes.

And just FYI? I feel *totally* evil now, for having spammed the comments like that.

I have a novel approach to the "gift" starters. I just make more bread. I usually make 1 batch of vanilla, 2 batches of chocolate and a batch of muffins. Sometimes I make a batch of sourdough bread (very labor intensive but you can make a sandwich out of it). Or pancakes/waffles.
Do a search for Amish friendship bread online, and you can find lots of variations for this starter.

My husband loves that I make friendship bread - cake !
If you go out of town, what do you do when you cannot stir and your "friends" are sick of your starter? !

I wish I knew! You won't believe this, but I actually forgot about the starter when I was going to be gone and now I think it's too late! Thank goodness Dia posted how to make my own. I thought Things One and Two were going to mutiny.

Is Amish Friendship Bread the same thing as Herman or Sour Dough Starter??? Also what is the difference between some of the recipes? I have found some that use more water or sugar or whatever and some that don't use yeast and have you leave it on the counter and some have you put it in the fridge. HUM>>>> confused much? Yep!

Now that I have recieved a baggie of starter, made the bread and given out my own baggies...I can laugh at all these comments. They are true enough. I have my second set of starters and I can't bring myself to find new guinea pigs. I'll take the advice of one of the posters and make lots of bread...then give that away. It will be better recieved I think :o)

Yes, but then you're trapped baking more and more bread every ten days. It's a vicious cycle.

I don't know what Herman break is, but while Amish Friendship Bread is similar to Sour Dough in that you need the starter to bake the bread, otherwise it's a completely different animal.

I have read that you can freeze starter to save, but try it first, as I have not yet. Id you are tired of making starter, then you can freeze some, and just start a new starter when you feel like it.

I have read that you can freeze starter to save, but try it first, as I have not yet. If you are tired of making starter, then you can freeze some, and just start a new starter when you feel like it. Don't feel so badly about throwing some away!

I just read an article on another site (Real Baking with Rose Beranbaum from an answer a reader had given to questions on Amish bread). The reader was trying to get the same flavor without the starter, and felt that the sour flavor in a normal starter was canelled by the baking powders and sodas added. "I tested my hypothesis by replacing the starter with buttermilk. The bread rose fine and the flavor and texture were just like the regular AF bread, if not a bit moister and more flavorful." They were also looking for recipes without the pudding, which adds an off flavor for some, and additives you shouldn't have to need making something from scratch. I am going to buy some buttermilk!

Is there a way to make the bread and not come out with new bags of starter? It's seems like someone out there must have figured out how to just add the new starters to the recipe.

We had new neighbors move in down the street and they drove by everyones house and gave everyone outside a loaf of the cake and a starter with instructions it was really sweet. My sister in law handed out the new starters to her new neighbors so i just had my 2 loafs and got out of it.

We had new neighbors move in down the street and they drove by everyones house and gave everyone outside a loaf of the cake and a starter with instructions it was really sweet. My sister in law handed out the new starters to her new neighbors so i just had my 2 loafs and got out of it.

We had new neighbors move in down the street and they drove by everyones house and gave everyone outside a loaf of the cake and a starter with instructions it was really sweet. My sister in law handed out the new starters to her new neighbors so i just had my 2 loafs and got out of it.

We had new neighbors move in down the street and they drove by everyones house and gave everyone outside a loaf of the cake and a starter with instructions it was really sweet. My sister in law handed out the new starters to her new neighbors so i just had my 2 loafs and got out of it.

I'm glad you said it's like cake. I'm bringing the "bread" to a potluck, without having tried it before, so I'll know what to expect some.

I have never made my own friendship bread but the mother of one of the students in my theater class makes it every year and sells it for a dollar a muffin to raise money for the senior scholarships they award at the end of the year. I think its a really good idea and we are all obssesed. We nick-named it "Theater Crack" lol. Kids from all over the school know about it and we have raised alot of money. But now after reading all these posts, i see that the process for making the bread is pain staking. I hope to try my own soon though. I saw one post above saying you could possible replace the starter with butter milk. Has anyone else tried that? That would make the baking of this bread MUCH easier. Though I supose I would miss out on the fun of the baggys of starter :)

I have never made my own friendship bread but the mother of one of the students in my theater class makes it every year and sells it for a dollar a muffin to raise money for the senior scholarships they award at the end of the year. I think its a really good idea and we are all obssesed. We nick-named it "Theater Crack" lol. Kids from all over the school know about it and we have raised alot of money. But now after reading all these posts, i see that the process for making the bread is pain staking. I hope to try my own soon though. I saw one post above saying you could possible replace the starter with butter milk. Has anyone else tried that? That would make the baking of this bread MUCH easier. Though I supose I would miss out on the fun of the baggys of starter :)

I love "Theater Crack"! That's hysterical.

The bread is actually not painstaking. It's just that it has a schedule that starts to take over your life. :-)

How can this be good with milk in it, sitting on a counter for 10 days?

I know, Tammy. I thought the same thing. Yet, there it is. No one gets sick. I think it's some sort of chemical thingie with how it interacts with the other ingredients. Honestly, if anyone could get sick from it, Thing One would. The boy blows chunks if you look at him funny.

I understand how hard it is to find people to take these starters, without making enemies out of your friends. I just make it all into bread and freeze the loaves of bread. I think it makes six loaves? Just add another set of ingredients for each cup of starter you leave in. Works great, problem solved.

I've made Amish Bread several separate times over many years. Yes, it is possible to freeze the starter. To begin again: thaw, and when at room temperature, begin on "day 2". To avoid too many "baggies" (and friends running away when they see you!), add 1/3 cup each of flour, sugar and milk on day 10 instead of 1 cup each. Set aside 1c starter for yourself and bake with the rest! There will be a bit more than 1c leftover to bake with, but it doesn't affect the outcome. Great "population control"!

OK, let me throw in another situation. I have had my pet starter for 11 days. I forgot that yesterday was day 10 and didn't do my additions. What do I do now? Flush it like a dead gold fish? Give it mouth to mouth to revive it? Help, the friend that gave it to me is coming over today, and I need to look like I knew what I was doing. If I can save it, I am going to try the freezing thing. HELP!!!

OK, let me throw in another situation. I have had my pet starter for 11 days. I forgot that yesterday was day 10 and didn't do my additions. What do I do now? Flush it like a dead gold fish? Give it mouth to mouth to revive it? Help, the friend that gave it to me is coming over today, and I need to look like I knew what I was doing. If I can save it, I am going to try the freezing thing. HELP!!!

I have yet another glitch to the system. What if on day 10 you forget all about your AFB and didn't add the 3 cups of stuff on day 10 and now it is day 11? What do I do with my pet now? FLush it down the toilet like a dead goldfish? Can I revive it? I need to know, since the friend that gave my pet (starter) to me, is coming to visit later today, and I need to look somewhat appreciative. If I can revive it I do plan to freeze it. I think you make more friends giving them the bread, instead of the starter unless they ask for it. I need to know fast! HELP.

I missed a day and it STILL worked!

I missed a day and it STILL worked!

the af bread start i have you take out 4 starts and bake with the rest. Well I mesured the rest and the version I have you bake with 2 cups of start. So 2cups of start makes 2 loafs. You have the 4 extra to give out, take 2 "starts" follow the baking instructions and you have a doubble batch 4 loves or use all for a tripple batch. ***ALSO GREAT WAY TO MAKE SUB 1/2 OIL W/ PUMPKIN (CANNED) AND USE CHEESECAKE FLAVOR PUDDING THE RESULT IS PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE BREAD IT'S MY MOST POPULAR * milk safty once it mixes w/ flour and sugar it is "food" for the yeast and it fermints its ok my 3 year old eats it and she is very much alive and well.