Just Spreading Some Friendship Around

A few weeks ago at choir practice, Dyanne placed a small bundle in my hands. She smiled as she extolled its virtues. She told me that she knew that I would take good care of it. She told me that it liked to be kept warm, gently squeezed, and that it tended to bubble. To make sure that I was completely versed in its care, she gave me an instruction sheet outlining its care, especially its feeding schedule. Oh, and, she warned that it sometimes didn't smell all that great.

If I asked you what the bundle was, a large number of you would probably say "a baby" and figure that I was going to baby-sit. Nope, wrong answer!

I knew that it wasn't a baby right off the bat. First, the bundle wasn't wrapped in swaddling clothes. Second, it didn't wear a diaper. Third, it didn't coo. But, knowing that it wasn't a baby didn't help me figure out what it was. I was at a complete loss until Dyanne told me it was Friendship Bread starter. Then, I nodded and smiled as I looked down at the heavy-duty ziplock baggie of some sort of fermenting goo.

I followed Dyanne's directions and a few days later was rewarded with a wonderful, dessert-type bread. It was dense and flavorful. It had staying power....it didn't go stale. My husband even liked.

Do you hear a "but" coming? Well, there is. Now, I don't want to sound ungrateful, but I have since come to understand that "Friendship Bread" is the culinary equivalent of the chain letter. If you've been on the receiving end of a chain letter, you know what I'm talking about. If you've never gotten one, consider yourself lucky and listen up. You'll eventually get one and what you read here now may help.

Chain letters typically come from someone you only know remotely or from someone who doesn't like you. Chain letters start off innocent enough. They hint at riches beyond your wildest dreams. On the flip side, they come with a pretty heavy warning, usually in the form of fables about those who didn't listen. You see, there's a catch to chain letters. In order to reap the rewards and riches and avoid some sort of horrible calamity akin to the curse of King Tut's tomb, you have to make about 47 million copies of the letter and mail them off to your "closest friends". Yeah, just what I had planned for the weekend.

To be honest, I have continued chains and still haven't won the lottery. I have also not continued the chain and haven't come down with the plague. So my advice is, if you have plenty of time on your hands, lots of stamps, and an address book full of your enemies names, ignore chain letters.

Now, back to the bread, the Friendship Bread chain is more subtle. There's no threat. Just a bubbling bag of goo and a friendly smile that accompanies the request to nurture it, bake it, and pass it on. On the positive side, you get a couple of loaves of great bread instead of paper cuts on your lips from licking envelopes. But, beware. As your friends run out of friends to give it to, it keeps coming back. I have 3 bags of starter right now.

Friendship Bread
Makes 2 loaves and starter for 3 friends.

Day 1 - If starting from scratch - Place 1/3 cup flour, 1/3 cup sugar, and 1/2 cup buttermilk or yogurt into the bag and squeeze to mix. If you receive a starter bag - The day the batter is divided and given out. Do nothing.
Day 2 - Squeeze the bag.
Day 3 - Squeeze the bag.
Day 4 - Squeeze the bag.
Day 5 - Squeeze the bag.
Day 6 - Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk. Squeeze bag to mix.
Day 7 - Squeeze the bag.
Day 8 - Squeeze the bag.
Day 9 - Squeeze the bag.
Day 10 - Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk. Pour 1 cup of the batter into 4 gallon heavy-duty zip-lock plastic bags. Keep 1 starter for yourself and give the other 3 bags to your friends (or enemies) along with the instructions.

Place the remainder of the batter in a bowl. Add:

1 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 large eggs
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 large box instant vanilla pudding

Mix thoroughly. Then add:

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Pour into 2 large, well greased and sugared (sugar mixed with cinnamon) loaf pans. Sprinkle some extra cinnamon sugar on top. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 1 hour. After baking, remove immediately from pans to cooling rack.

Optional: 1 cup nuts, 1 chopped apple (additional baking time may be needed), or 1/2 cup raisins can be added to the above batter.

TIPS: Use 1 gallon heavy-duty zip lock plastic bags. Do not use metal spoons or bowls for mixing. Do not refrigerate. As air is produced by the mixture, let it out. It is normal for the batter to thicken, bubble, ferment and smell sour.

NOTE: If you are starting from scratch, the buttermilk or yogurt must have active cultures in it.