The holidays are coming up fast and you may be looking for a different kind of gift for those people in your life who seem to have everything. I recently remembered a wonderful homemade bread recipe that I received as a gift many years ago. I dug out the instructions so you can try it too. Besides making great homemade bread, this recipe also allows you to share your love of bread making with your friends.
Friendship Bread Starter
1 tablespoon (envelope) dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
5 cups whole wheat bread flour
4 cups milk, room temperature
1 1/2 cups light honey
1. Allow several days (14-15) to make the starter.
2. Dissolve yeast in water. Add 1 cup flour and stir. Let stand at room temperature, in a non-metal bowl, covered with cheesecloth for 24 hours. Stir and let stand another 24 hours.
3. Combine yeast mixture with 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk and 1/2 cup honey. Cover with cheesecloth and let stand at room temp. for 48 hours. You will begin to smell the sourdough odor. (If it’s not active by now, add 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup milk and 1/4 cup honey and let stand at room temp. for another 12-24 hours.)
4. In a large, non-metal bowl, combine starter, 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk and 1/2 cup honey. Mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 5 days at room temp. Stir well each day.
5. On the fifth day add another cup of flour, 1 cup of milk and 1/4 cup of honey. Mix well.
6. After 5 more days, add the final cup of flour, final cup of milk and 1/4 cup of honey. Now that the base is ready, you give some to your friends. You can give 3 cups away, keeping one for yourself to either make more starter or to make 2 loaves of bread.
When you give it to your friends, give them these instructions with it. For your convenience, you can download this document which has the instructions and recipe in a gift format.
Friendship Bread Starter
Do Not Refrigerate!
On the day you receive this present from your friend, put it in a large non-metal container and stir. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it sit out on your kitchen counter.
On days 2, 3, and 4 stir the mixture.
On day 5 add 1/4 cup of honey, 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of milk and stir well.
On days 6, 7, 8, and 9, stir well.
On day 10 add 1/4 cup of honey, 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of milk and stir well.
After adding these last ingredients, take 3 cups and give them to friends with a copy of these instructions. Use the fourth cup to make two Friendship Breads for yourself.
Friendship Bread Recipe
1 cup Friendship Bread starter mixture
2/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups four
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Butter and sugar for the pan
Mix all the ingredients together and add your choice of any of the following:
1/2 cup chopped apples
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup dates
1/2 cup pineapple
1/2 cup mashed berries
1/2 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup chocolate bits
Pour into two well greased and sugared loaf pans. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40-50 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and remove from pans.
