Amish White Bread 🍞

This Amish White Bread is soft, fluffy, slightly sweet, and wonderfully tender. It’s made with simple pantry ingredients and is perfect for sandwiches, toast, French toast, or simply spreading with butter. Traditional versions commonly use warm water, sugar, yeast, oil, salt, and flour.

Ingredients

2 cups (480 ml) warm water, about 105–110°F (40–43°C)
⅔ cup (135 g) granulated sugar
1½ tablespoons active dry yeast
1½ teaspoons salt
¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
6 cups (750 g) bread flour or all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons melted butter, for brushing

Directions

1. Activate the Yeast

Pour the warm water into a large mixing bowl.

Add the sugar and stir until dissolved.

Sprinkle the yeast over the water and gently stir.

Let it stand for 5–10 minutes, until the surface becomes foamy. This indicates that the yeast is active.

Don’t use very hot water, as excessive heat can damage the yeast.

2. Make the Dough

Add the vegetable oil and salt to the yeast mixture.

Begin adding the flour one cup at a time, mixing after each addition.

Continue until a soft dough forms.

You may not need every last bit of flour, so add it gradually.

3. Knead

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface.

Knead for approximately 8–10 minutes, until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.

It should feel soft and slightly tacky but shouldn’t stick heavily to your hands.

4. First Rise

Lightly grease a large bowl.

Place the dough inside and turn it once so the surface is lightly coated with oil.

Cover with a clean kitchen towel.

Place in a warm, draft-free location and let it rise for approximately 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

5. Shape the Loaves

Punch the dough down gently to release excess air.

Divide it into 2 equal portions.

Flatten each portion into a rough rectangle.

Roll it tightly from one short end to the other, pinching the seam closed.

Place each loaf seam-side down into a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan.

6. Second Rise

Cover the pans loosely with a clean towel.

Allow the dough to rise for approximately 30–60 minutes, or until it rises about 1 inch above the edges of the pans.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

7. Bake

Bake the loaves for approximately 25–30 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when gently tapped.

If the tops brown too quickly, loosely cover them with aluminum foil during the final part of baking.

8. Brush With Butter

Remove the loaves from the oven.

Immediately brush the tops with melted butter.

This gives the crust a beautiful shine and keeps it softer.

Allow the bread to cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then transfer the loaves to a wire rack.

Let them cool completely before slicing.

Dos and Don’ts

Do ✅

Do use warm—not hot—water.
Do let the yeast become foamy before continuing.
Do add flour gradually.
Do knead until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
Do allow the dough to fully double during the first rise.
Do let the second rise finish before baking.
Do brush the hot loaves with butter for a soft crust.

Don’t ❌

Don’t use boiling or very hot water with the yeast.
Don’t add too much flour—the dough should remain soft.
Don’t skip the rising periods.
Don’t overproof the dough until it collapses.
Don’t slice the bread while it’s piping hot, as the interior can become gummy.

Tips for Extra-Soft Amish Bread

🥛 Make It Richer

Replace 1 cup of the water with warm whole milk and use melted butter instead of vegetable oil. This creates a richer, softer loaf.

🍯 Use Honey

You can replace some or all of the sugar with honey for a slightly different flavor.

🧈 Softer Crust

Brush the loaves generously with butter immediately after baking and cover loosely with a clean towel while they cool.

🥪 Perfect Sandwich Bread

For neat sandwich slices, allow the loaves to cool completely—ideally 1–2 hours—before slicing.

Storage

Store completely cooled bread in an airtight bag or container at room temperature for 3–4 days.

For longer storage, wrap the loaves tightly and freeze for up to 2–3 months.

Meta Description

Make soft, fluffy Amish White Bread with simple ingredients like flour, yeast, sugar, water, and oil. This easy homemade bread is perfect for sandwiches, toast, French toast, and butter.