Description
Amish white bread is a simple, honest loaf that fills your kitchen with warmth while it bakes, and the tender crumb makes it perfect for everything from morning toast to dinner rolls. Your family will notice how this straightforward dough; mixed with just a few basic ingredients; brings that homemade comfort to your table that store-bought bread simply can’t match.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry ingredients:
- 5.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1.5 tablespoons active dry yeast
- 0.67 cup granulated sugar
- 1.5 teaspoons salt
Wet ingredients:
- 2 cups warm water
- 0.25 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, pour 2 cups of warm water heated to 110°F and stir in 2/3 cup of granulated sugar until the crystals dissolve completely.
- Sprinkle 1½ tbsp of active dry yeast over the sugar water and let it rest for 5-10 minutes until you see a foamy layer on top.
- Pour ¼ cup of vegetable oil into your yeast mixture along with 1½ tsp of salt and stir everything together.
- Add 3 cups of all-purpose flour to your mixture and stir until your dough looks smooth and even.
- Gradually add more flour, ½ cup at a time, until your dough pulls away from the bowl’s sides but still feels slightly tacky to your touch.
- Transfer your dough onto a floured surface and knead it for 8-10 minutes by hand, stretching and folding until the dough becomes smooth and springs back when you press it.
- Place your kneaded dough in a greased bowl, turning it so all sides get coated with oil.
- Cover your bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let it sit in a warm spot for about 1 hour until your dough roughly doubles in size.
- Push your fist into the center of your risen dough to deflate it, then divide it into two equal pieces.
- Shape each piece into a loaf by rolling and tucking the edges, then place them into two greased 9×5-inch loaf pans.
- Cover your pans with a towel and let them rise for 30-45 minutes at room temperature until your dough peaks about 1 inch above the pan rims.
- Heat your oven to 350°F and bake your loaves for 25-30 minutes until the tops turn golden brown and tapping the bottom produces a hollow sound.
- Remove your loaves from the pans and set them on a wire rack to cool before slicing into them.
Notes
- Warm water should feel like bathwater on your wrist; around 110°F; because water that’s too hot kills the yeast and water that’s too cold won’t activate it properly.
- If your kitchen is cold, place the dough in a turned-off oven with the light on, or set it in a warm spot like on top of your refrigerator, since a consistent warm environment helps it rise evenly.
- Don’t skip the second rise in the pans, as this step gives your bread that classic tall, fluffy texture rather than a dense loaf.
- Tap the bottom of a finished loaf with your knuckle; if it sounds hollow, the bread is done, but if it sounds dense, give it another 5 minutes in the oven to bake through completely.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
- Category: Donuts & Breads
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2
- Calories: 900 kcal
- Sugar: 43 g
- Sodium: 1420 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 190 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg