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.
Brittany Blackburn says
This is my very favorite bread recipe! It turns out soft and fluffy every time.
Brandy says
So glad to hear! 🙂
Traci says
Absolutely Delicious!! Very Easy to Make!!
Brandy says
So glad to hear, Traci!
Sarah says
I am anxious to try this recipe today. The last time I made bread, everything went great until I punched down the bread after letting it rise and double in size. I divided it in half and formed 2 rectangles, and put it in the loaf pans and put it back in the same warm oven to rise again. It barely did rise, but not enough. The bread tasted good but it was more dense. Did I overwork the dough after I punched it down?
Brandy says
I wouldn’t think that you overworked the dough. Was the house cold? Maybe let it rise longer next time (even if it goes past what the recipe suggests) until it rises a bit more?
amy says
Could I halve this recipe to make 1 loaf? or will that mess everything up?
Brandy says
Yes! I’ve done that many times with great results.
CC says
Just made this bread. It turned out so light and soft. It’s a very easy recipe too.
I cannot stop eating it.
Brandy says
So glad to hear!
Tamara says
This bread has worked perfectly for me since the first time I made it. The texture is great for sandwiches and it tastes delicious.
I usually mix mine in my bread machine, then after the first proof, I divide it and place in 2 buttered bread pans.
Don’t add too much more flour or it will become very dense and heavy.
Irene says
I have a question can you make dinner rolls with the Amish bread recipe? If not do you have a recipe for dinner rolls. I have made this Amish bread recipe now twice and each time it’s so good. Thanks for sharing.
Brandy says
You totally can! I also have a post showing how to do that and the baking times using that same dough: https://gluesticksblog.com/dinner-rolls-recipe/
Irene says
Wonderful Recipe, Thank you.
Question; can this be used to make dinner rolls as well?
Brandy says
Yes! This recipe makes wonderful rolls and I have a recipe post all about that. Click here: https://gluesticksblog.com/dinner-rolls-recipe/
Irene says
This was such an amazing find, thank you so much for posting. Made it Friday amd shared one loaf with my church at fellowship, everyone enjoyed it. 🤗
Brandy says
So glad to hear!!
Christy says
I made this bread to go with vegetable soup, it was delicious! The only thing different that I did was I only put 1 1/2 cups of warm water and a 1/2 cup of warm milk. I will make it agai!
Tom says
First time making, great tasting easy to make.
Cindy says
If you use a kitchen aid dough hook, how long would you let it knead?
Brandy says
I usually only mix it with the hook a minute or two after it comes off the edge of the bowl and wraps around the hook.
Lisa Pless says
Have tried MANY bread recipes over the years and it seems I fail as they are so dense. I want a fluffy, light bread. I am trying this as I had extreme success after trying a Pennsylvania Dutch Biscuits cooked in cast iron skillet. Turned out BEAUTIFUL!!!!! Just perfect! Tastes great!!!! My new go to recipe for bread!!! No more store bought bread!!!! Thank you!!! Lisa
Brandy says
Oh, I’m so glad!! It’s so frustrating to make a loaf (taking up 3 hours of your day) only to have it not turn out. That’s why I only make this recipe too—-works every time! 🙂
Dawn says
This is my first attempt at bread and it turned out beautiful! I was a bit worried when I added in all the flour and it was too dry, but I put it quickly back in my mixer and added a bit more water hoping it would come together and it did! Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe. I was so excited to share it with my family! I'm excited to try the cinnamon raisin bread next!
Brandy says
I’m so glad! Great job with your first loaf of homemade bread!
Dana says
What size bread pans do you use for this recipe?
Brandy says
9x5