Friendship Bread: Starter Recipe (make once)
 

As I understand it, the Amish had/have a wedding custom. When a new bride leaves her home to start a life and home with her new husband, her mother gives her a cup of "starter" from her own pot.

The thought here, is that you take to your new life what you are and have become. As you add to the starter from your own pantry, the flavor becomes uniquely that of your own family. Over the course of months and years, there will be a discernible difference between the flavor of your starter and that of your mother's... and neither will taste like it did when you first began (because you have both changed).

Starter:
1 Cup Milk (room temperature)
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup REGULAR Flour (room temperature)
    Note: do not use Self-Rising flour.

Mix in a non-metallic bowl - glass or plastic is fine
    Note: The metal interferes with the chemical reaction that needs to take place
Use a plastic or wooden stirrer. Don't be concerned if you can't get ALL the lumps out. Try to mix until lumps are pea sized, but with none larger than a grape.

Pour into a quart-sized, non-metallic container.
    Note: The finished Sponge will expand to over 2 to 3 times its original volume.
    If the Sponge gets too close to the top, pour into larger non-metallic bowl when you stir it.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap or foil.
    Note: If you use foil, don't let the foil fall into the starter.
Let starter sit in a quiet place, away from drafts or hot breezes.

General Starter Tips [top]

Some people put a divided Sponge into a zip lock baggy and put in refrigerator
    The cold retards the action and the flavor is not as "full".
YOU SHOULD NOT REGRIGERATE A NEW STARTER.
* Stir daily *

This is Day One.

Day Two
     Stir (always with non-metal stirrer)

Day Three
    Stir

Day Four
    Stir

Day Five
    Add    1C. Flour
               1C. Sugar
               1C. Milk
     Stir

Note: The Sponge will get foamy and frothy. Don't be alarmed. This is natural. The mixture is reacting together and expanding.
Try to resist the temptation to "tinker" with it!  [top]

Day Six
    Stir

Day Seven
    Stir

Day Eight
    Stir

Day Nine
    Stir

Day Ten
    Add    1C. Flour
               1C. Sugar
               1C. Milk
     Stir
Separate 3 portions from batter in bowl
    1C. Sponge (1 to keep)
    1C. Sponge, each, to give to 2 friends
Remainder (about 1¼ C.) to use in recipe.

Flavor Enhancers

Try experimenting with different types of milks, flours and/or sweeteners. By following the directions as stated above, you will learn what is "normal" for the sponge. Using this familiarity, you can make substitutions and adjust the various categories as needed.

Some variations* to consider:
    Milk: Goat; Soy
    Sugar: Stevia; Honey
    Flour: Rye; Wheat; Rice
*Note: I cannot attest to these variations. I have never experimented. I have only heard of these alternatives.

General Info: [top]

The mixing timeframe is quite flexible.
You'll know the Sponge is ready when
    it tastes "good"
    the texture is creamy (not "gritty")
    there is no "flour taste"
The Sponge is pourable and will flow back together slowly on the back of a spoon.

Ideas:

Making Sponges for a Group
If you are trying to start several gifts to give to your Ladies to kick off a campaign, you may use these 3 cups of Sponge to start more Sponges. This kind of series is a great way to encourage your ladies to bring their friends "from the outside". It is a very low-key, fun and non-threatening approach to God's Wisdom.

Use as Object Lesson for Devotional
What can work very nicely is to combine the making and giving of the sponges with a series of studies. Good books to incorporate into this fellowship would be "The Friendships of Women", or "Becoming a Woman of Purpose", or your own series.   could include a dividing of Sponges and baking time. If you started several Sponges ahead of time, on any given week together you could bake several cakes / breads / muffins for the Ladies to take home to their families.

It's nice to have something tangible to hold that represents the intangible that we have learned. It encourages us to put that wisdom into action.

Friendship Bread: Recipe (using completed starter)
To the balance, after separating (a little over one cup) of the batter,
add the following ingredients and mix well.
    1 cup oil
    1/2 cup milk
    3 eggs
    1 tsp vanilla
In a separate (large) 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.
[top]

Devotional using the spiritual applications of the Flour (Flesh), Milk(God's Word) and Sugar (sweetness of the Holy Spirit).
 

1 cup flour (all-purpose)
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
 
Put all ingrediants in a one gallon zip lock bag and mix together by squeezing the bag until smooth.  Start as day 1.  It may be helpful to put the bag outside in the sun for an hour or two until it starts the mixture bubbling.  My starter was weak until I did this on day 6.  The first batch of bread was good, but mild tasting.  I'm on my second round with the new starter and it's really great smelling now, so I'm sure it's getting better with age.