Amish Bread Starter and Amish Cinnamon Bread Recipe

RECIPE FOR STARTER

INGREDIENTS
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
3 cups white sugar, divided
3 cups milk

DIRECTIONS
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, pour 1 cup of starter into each of two ziploc bags to give your friends along with this recipe, and your Amish Cinnamon Bread recipe
Store the remaining 1 cup starter in a ziploc baggie in the refrigerator until you're ready to make your bread, or begin the 10 day process over again (beginning with step 2).

I love being able to give my friends a starter bag. And when I run out of friends, I just start freezing them in the gallon ziploc bags, pulling them out whenever I'm ready to make the bread. Once you make the starter, you don't have to do the ten days to get your loaf. You only need to do the ten days if you plan on giving a starter bag to a friend. They can make their own loaf with it or do their own ten days to give to their friends and so forth. I keep lots of the gallon ziploc bags on hand during the Christmas season when I'm doing my baking. Mostly for this starter.

Here's my favorite Amish Bread Recipe:
1 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
In a separate bowl combine the following dry ingredients and mix well:
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 - (5.1 oz) box instant vanilla pudding
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup nuts
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix and pour into two well greased and sugared bread pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

I make this in the small loaf pans at Christmas time to give as gifts. I think one batch makes five or six small loaves. Wrapped in a holiday plastic wrap with a ribbon and recipe attached makes a cute little package!

ENJOY!