This recipe for homemade Amish white bread yields 2 loaves of perfectly soft white bread. Perfect for sandwiches, toast, or eating fresh from the oven with butter. It has been a family favorite for years!
Try these other variations using the same bread dough: cinnamon swirl bread and jalapeno cheese bread. Both make 2 delicious loaves per batch!
This has been my go-to white bread recipe for years. I've made it so many times that I have it completely memorized. I usually use white flour, but it is amazing with half whole wheat flour as well.
Why I Like This Recipe
- Turns out good every time. This is truly a foolproof bread recipe. And you can use it to make Amish dinner rolls, too!
- Simple ingredients. Chances are, you already have everything you need in your pantry. Flour, salt, sugar, yeast, oil, and water. My version also uses less sugar than most.
- Makes 2 large loaves of bread. If you're going to make the effort to make one loaf of bread, you might as well make two loaves. This bread freezes well, so you can save the loaf for another day!
What Others Are Saying
This is my very favorite bread recipe! It turns out soft and fluffy every time. ---Brittany
Absolutely Delicious!! Very Easy to Make!!---Traci
Just made this bread. It turned out so light and soft. It’s a very easy recipe too.
I cannot stop eating it. ---CC
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Tips and Tricks
- Bread-making tip: if you don't have a stand mixer. Stand mixers make mixing and kneading a breeze, but not everyone has one. I like mixing my dough by hand using my Danish dough whisk. If you're a die-hard wooden spoon fan, I challenge you to try a dough whisk. Works like a dream to mix the dough, and then you can knead it by hand.
- Letting the dough rise: The dough will rise faster in a warm spot. I preheat my oven for 1 minute, then shut the heat off. It makes the oven just warm enough for the dough to rise.
- Proofing the yeast: I like proofing the yeast with warm water and sugar. Place a plate on top of the bowl and let it sit for 5 minutes. If you use instant yeast, you do not need to do this, but I typically do it out of habit, regardless of what type of yeast I use.
Ingredients
- Warm water: The perfect water temperature for making bread is between 105 and 115 degrees.
- Sugar: I use ¼ cup of sugar, but you can reduce that down to a couple of tablespoons if you'd like.
- Active dry yeast 2 packets: Can also use instant yeast. My favorite is Fleischmann's Instant Dry Yeast.
- Salt: For flavor.
- Vegetable oil: For texture.
- Bread flour or all purpose flour: I prefer using all white flour, but you can use a combination of white and what if you'd like.
- Butter for brushing on finished loaves: Brushing the tops of the hot loaves with butter softens the crust and gives it great flavor.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Amish White Bread
Step 1: Dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until it looks like a creamy foam on top of the water (about 5 minutes).
Step 2: Mix oil into the yeast mixture. Mix salt and flour (1 cup at a time) into the wet ingredients. Stir until a soft dough forms.
Step 3: Scrape sides of the bowl, then dump dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough until smooth and elastic.
Step 4: Place in an oiled bowl, and turn the dough to coat. Cover with a damp towel. Raise for 1 hour. Punch dough down. Divide the dough in half.
Step 5: Shape into loaves, and place into two greased 9-inch loaf pans. You can either pat dough into a loaf shape or roll the dough into a rectangle and tightly roll up into a loaf shape, and pinch the ends to seal seams.
Step 6: Allow to rise for 30-40 minutes.
Step 7: Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Brush with melted butter (or run a stick of butter across the top of each loaf) while in pans.
Step 8: Cool 5 minutes and then remove bread from bread pans and cool on a rack. Cool completely before slicing.
Wrap in plastic wrap or store in a plastic bag.
Amish Bread FAQs
I always use bread flour or all-purpose, whichever one I have on hand. My favorite brand is King Arthur. You can use all white flour or a mixture of white and wheat flour. I have not used this recipe for 100% whole wheat bread, but I'm sure you could.
For the most part, I use whatever yeast is available. Most of the time, it's the instant yeast that comes in a large package from Sam's Club. When I use dry active yeast, I add 10-15 minutes to the rise time. Technically, you do not need to proof instant yeast, only dry active yeast, but I've gotten so used to proofing my yeast that I proof it for every recipe.
A warm place is a perfect place for yeast to do its thing. I preheat my oven for 60 seconds then shut the heat off. I place my bowl of dough with a damp cloth or plastic wrap (that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray) covering it inside my oven.
More Sandwich Recipes To Make
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Homemade Amish White Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cup warm water
- ¼ cup sugar
- 4 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast 2 packets
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 5 ½ cup flour bread flour or all purpose flour
- butter for brushing on finished loaves
Instructions
- In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until it looks like a creamy foam on top of the water (about 5 minutes).
- Mix oil into the yeast mixture. Mix salt and flour (1 cup at a time) in with the wet ingredients. Stir until a soft dough forms. Scrape sides of the bowl then dump dough onto a lightly floured surface.
- Knead dough until smooth and elastic.
- Place in an oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp towel.
- Raise for 1 hour.
- Punch dough down. Divide dough in half.
- Shape into loaves, and place into two greased 9-inch loaf pans. You can either pat dough into a loaf shape or roll the dough into rectangle and tightly roll up into a loaf shape and pinch the ends to seal seams.
- Allow to rise for 30-40 minutes.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
- Brush with melted butter (or run a stick of butter across the top of each loaf) while in pans. Cool 5 minutes and then remove bread from bread pans and cool on a rack.
- Wrap in plastic wrap or store in a plastic bag.
- Makes 2 loaves.
Brandy says
I've made this bread so many times that I've memorized the recipe. It's so good!
Jules says
This was my first time making bread. The recipe was SO EASY, did not need to haul my kitchen Aid mixer out or use anything fancy. Just a big mixing bowl, wooden spoon, two loaf pans, measuring cups and spoons. I was always intimidated by bread, was told it was hard to make. Um Nope, this was so easy. I just read it through first then made it. Tastes awesome, made a lot of bread!
Brandy says
Awesome! I’m so glad to hear this. It’s definitely intimidating making bread for the first time, but worth the effort!
Tina says
Can you use this recipe in a Pullman pan. I just really love the taste and everyone in my family does also. Thank you
Brandy says
Hi Tina! I've heard of Pullman pans, but haven't tried baking with them. I'd imagine that the bread dough would do just fine baked in one, but I'm not sure about baking times, etc.