Amish white bread is a soft, tall, slightly sweet sandwich loaf with a tender, fluffy crumb and a thin golden crust brushed with butter. This Amish white bread recipe makes two loaves from six pantry ingredients: water, sugar, yeast, salt, oil and flour. There is no milk, no eggs and no special equipment. It is a friendly bread for a first-time baker, and it makes the best toast, sandwiches and bread and butter you can put on a table.
How to make Amish white bread: Dissolve sugar in warm water, stir in yeast and let it foam for 5 minutes. Mix in oil, salt and flour, a cup at a time, to make a soft dough. Knead until smooth and let rise for 1 hour. Shape into two loaves, place in greased 9-inch pans and let rise 30 to 40 minutes. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes and brush with butter.
Why You’ll Love It
- Two loaves. One to eat and one to freeze or give away.
- Six basic ingredients. Nothing you need to shop for.
- Soft and a little sweet. A classic sandwich bread.
- No milk or eggs. The dough is made with water and oil.
- Beginner-friendly. Clear signs tell you when each stage is done.
Ingredient Notes
Warm water. Two cups. It should feel warm, not hot, to the touch.
Sugar. A 1/4 cup. It feeds the yeast and gives the bread its mild sweetness.
Active dry yeast. Four and a half teaspoons, which is 2 packets.
Salt. One and a half teaspoons.
Vegetable oil. A 1/4 cup. It keeps the crumb soft.
Flour. Five and a half cups of bread flour or all-purpose flour.
Butter. For brushing the tops of the hot loaves.
Ingredients
- 2 cups warm water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (2 packets)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 5 1/2 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
- Butter, for brushing the loaves
How to Make Amish White Bread
1. Proof the yeast. Dissolve the sugar in the warm water in a large bowl. Stir in the yeast and let it stand about 5 minutes, until creamy foam forms on top.
2. Make the dough. Mix in the vegetable oil. Add the salt and flour, mixing in the flour 1 cup at a time, until a soft dough forms. Scrape the bowl and turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface.
3. Knead and rise. Knead until smooth and elastic. Put the dough in an oiled bowl, turn it to coat and cover with a damp towel. Let rise for 1 hour.
4. Shape the loaves. Punch down the dough and divide it in half. Shape each half into a loaf and put it in a greased 9-inch loaf pan. Let rise for 30 to 40 minutes.
5. Bake. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
6. Butter and cool. Brush the loaves with butter while they are still in the pans. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool.
Do You Need Milk or Bread Flour?
No to both. This loaf is made with water, not milk, and it works with either bread flour or the all-purpose flour that is already in your cupboard.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is milk necessary? | No. The dough uses 2 cups of warm water. Oil keeps it soft |
| Can I use all-purpose flour? | Yes. Either all-purpose or bread flour works |
| What is the difference? | Bread flour gives a fluffier, taller rise. All-purpose gives a slightly softer, closer crumb |
| How much flour? | Five and a half cups, added a cup at a time until the dough is soft |
Bread is easier when you watch the dough and not just the clock. Each stage has a sign.
| Stage | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Yeast is alive | A creamy foam on top of the water after about 5 minutes |
| Dough is mixed | Soft and a little tacky, pulling away from the bowl |
| Kneading is done | Smooth and elastic. It springs back when pressed |
| First rise is done | The dough has about doubled, in about 1 hour |
| Loaves are ready to bake | They have risen in the pans for 30 to 40 minutes and look puffy |
| Bread is baked | Golden on top, and it sounds hollow when tapped |
If the yeast does not foam, the water was too hot or the yeast is old. Start over with fresh yeast. It is far better to lose 5 minutes than to bake two flat loaves.
Tips for Success
How warm should the water be?
Comfortably warm on your wrist. Hot water kills yeast, and cold water slows it down.
Why add the flour a cup at a time?
Flour varies, and so does the weather. Adding it gradually lets you stop when the dough is soft and just a little tacky, before it turns stiff and dry.
How long should I knead?
Until the dough is smooth and stretchy and no longer shaggy. By hand, that is usually several minutes of steady work.
Where should the dough rise?
Somewhere warm and free of drafts, covered with a damp towel so the surface does not dry out.
Why butter the tops?
Brushing hot loaves with butter gives a soft, shiny, flavorful crust.
How Long Does It Take?
About 150 minutes: 120 minutes of prep, which includes both rises, and 30 minutes of baking. A longer second rise and the cooling time add a little more.
Storage
Let the loaves cool completely, then wrap them well or keep them in a plastic bag. Well-wrapped bread keeps for up to 4 days. For longer keeping, freeze a wrapped loaf for up to 6 months and thaw it in its wrapping.
What to Serve With It
Warm bread with butter is hard to improve on. Serve slices with a bowl of slow cooker Amish tomato noodle soup, or next to a comfort-food dinner like slow cooker Amish beef and noodles, Amish onion gravy pork roast or Amish pork chops and apples. For a simple side, there are slow cooker Amish buttered noodles. And for a sweet loaf, bake the Amish apple fritter bread.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is milk necessary, or can I make Amish white bread with water?
Water works. This loaf is made with warm water and oil, with no milk.
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour?
Yes. Either one works. Bread flour gives a slightly fluffier rise.
How do I tell when the yeast has proofed and the loaves are ready to bake?
The yeast is ready when creamy foam forms on the water. The loaves are ready after rising in their pans for 30 to 40 minutes.
How many loaves does it make?
Two loaves, in 9-inch pans.
Final Notes
I set the bowl of dough near the warm oven to rise, with the damp towel tucked around the rim. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Amish White Bread
Want This Recipe Later?
We'll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
Ingredients
- 2 cups water warm
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast 2 packets
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 5 1/2 cups flour bread flour or all-purpose flour
- butter for brushing the finished loaves
Instructions
- Dissolve the sugar in the warm water in a large bowl. Stir in the yeast and let it stand about 5 minutes, until creamy foam forms on top.
- Mix in the vegetable oil. Add the salt and flour, mixing in the flour 1 cup at a time, until a soft dough forms. Scrape the bowl and turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface.
- Knead until smooth and elastic. Put the dough in an oiled bowl, turn it to coat and cover with a damp towel. Let rise for 1 hour.
- Punch down the dough and divide it in half. Shape each half into a loaf and put it in a greased 9-inch loaf pan. Let rise for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
- Brush the loaves with butter while they are still in the pans. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool.
Notes
Nutrition
Made this recipe? Tap a star to rate it.
