This is actually a fun community idea to bring people together, meet new people or just have a great time with your old friends. I first came upon this recipe from a friend of mine who gave me a starter bag as work.
You can make just about any kind of snack bread with this recipe it all depends on what you want to put in it. Its very versatile and easy to start.
This recipe is from the very beginning, as if you were not given the starter bag. This recipe is the starting point to begin the chain of food, family and friends.
Get the Recipe in pdf format here > Amish Friendship Starter
Here is the instructions that you should give out when you give your family & friends a zip lock of Starter > AFB Instructions
Amish Friendship Bread Starter
1 package active dry yeast
¼ cup warm water
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 cup milk
Directions
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 10 minutes.
In a 2-quart glass, plastic or ceramic container, combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly with a whisk or fork.
Slowly stir in 1 cup milk and dissolved yeast mixture.
Cover loosely and let stand at room temperature until bubbly. Consider this day 1 of the 10 day cycle. For the next 10 days handle starter according to the instructions for Amish Friendship Bread.
The starter should be left at room temperature. Drape loosely with dish towel or plastic wrap. Do not use metal utensils or bowls. If using a sealed Ziploc bag, be sure to let the air out if the bag gets too puffy. Also, when you make a starter from scratch, you can sometimes end up with a much greater yield than 4 cups depending on the temperature of your kitchen and eagerness of your starter! If this happens, reserve one cup for baking and divide the remaining batter into Ziploc baggies of 1 cup each to freeze or share with friends. For instructions on how to care for your Amish Friendship Bread starter for ten days, click here or read below: Day 1: Do nothing. Day 2: Mash the bag. Day 3: Mash the bag. Day 4: Mash the bag. Day 5: Mash the bag. Day 6: Add to the bag: 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk. Mash the bag. Day 7: Mash the bag. Day 8: Mash the bag. Day 9: Mash the bag. Day 10:
Pour the entire bag into a nonmetal bowl.
Add 1½ cup flour, 1½ cup sugar, 1½ cup milk.
Measure out equal portions of 1 cup each into 4 1-gallon Ziploc bags.
Keep one of the bags for yourself (or leave it in the mixing bowl if you plan to bake right away), and give the other bags to friends along with the recipe.