Tasty Tuesday: Not-So-Amish Cinnamon Bread

Some people drink too much. Others gamble, suffer from shopaholism, or watch excessive amounts of TV.

In our house, T is addicted to that Amish Cinnamon Bread. A friend from church gave us a starter several weeks ago, and we've gone through two more since the original. The idea is that a friend gives you a bag of "starter" mix. It looks like cake batter in a gallon-size ziploc bag. You mush the bag each day (adding some flour and other ingredients on the day specified in the directions), and on Day 10, you add a bunch of ingredients and bake the most delicious bread you've ever tasted in your life. It is so sweet, you can almost hear your teeth screaming. You also have some batter left over to hand out to a few friends.

When the magical loaf of deliciousness is gone, T hovers near the kitchen counter where I keep the "starter." Each day he asks, "Is it bread day yet?"

When the joyous Bread Day finally arrives, he drives me batty with his constant "is the bread ready yet?" questioning. The bread never lasts long in our house. As picky as T is, you know it must be good.

As much as I'd love to share a starter with all 37 of my Followers and the two or three lurkers I know are out there, I don't think you'd appreciate receiving a lumpy old bag of dough in the mail. So I scoured the internet until I found a recipe as close to what I have. I'll share it today as part of Jen's Tasty Tuesday party at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam .

I highly doubt that the Amish use instant Jell-o Vanilla pudding mix in their delicacies, so I am calling it "Not-S0-Amish" Cinnamon Bread. This is the first time I've ever actually followed through and made the bread. I usually give up about 5 minutes after the starter makes it home. I found that since I spend half of my life washing dishes, keeping it by the kitchen sink helps me remember to mush it each day. It is so darn good that I have to keep making it! Some friends are too lazy busy to accept a starter bag when I have them ready, but I've found most people are eager to try it.

It says not to use metal utensils or bowls. I have no idea if this is a valid rule or not, but I decided not to offend the Amish and did it the way they typed it up on the internet verbally handed it down through generations.

Here's the recipe for the STARTER:

Not-So-Amish Cinnamon Bread Starter

found on Allrecipes.com

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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).

NOTE: Once you have made the starter, you will consider it Day One, and thus ignore step 1 in this recipe and proceed with step 2. You can also freeze this starter in 1 cup measures for later use. Frozen starter will take at least 3 hours at room temperature to thaw before using.

Not-So-Amish Cinnamon Bread

Found on Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

1 cup Amish Friendship Bread Starter (which you will have made in the recipe above)
2/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I used 2 teaspoons in the recipe I was given)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

**My recipe also called for 1 Large box of instant Jell-o Vanilla pudding mix. I know it's not very Amish, but darnit, I am putting this on the internet so I don't think they'll see it. Plus, it makes the bread SO moist!**

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

2. 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.

3. Pour into prepared loaf pans. (My recipe has me mix a 1/2 cup sugar with 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and dust the sides and bottom of the pan and sprinkle the rest on top of the loaves before baking. It is worth it!!!

4. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes.

I have two starters going right now to indulge T. I am an enabler. No...really I am just going to freeze the extra two loaves I make. Glorious sugar.

I separate the new starters to give to friends and family, being sure to mark the date and "Day One" so my friends know when I started theirs.

Extra cinnamon and sugar for the crust!

This is what heaven looks like (to T anyways.) A slice is great with a tall ice water cafe mocha. Just sip your ice water mocha and enjoy Nirvana.

It seems like a lot of work, but it is soooooo worth it. Really, is it that hard to mush a plastic bag a couple of times once a day for 10 days? Don't answer that!

{Bon Appetit!}