Homemade Amish White Bread (Printable)

Soft, slightly sweet white bread ideal for sandwiches and toasting. Easy homemade version yields two fluffy loaves.

# What You Need:

→ Dough

01 - 2 cups warm water (110°F)
02 - 2/3 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
04 - 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
05 - 1/4 cup vegetable oil
06 - 5 1/2 – 6 cups all-purpose flour

→ Optional Topping

07 - 1 tablespoon melted butter

# How To Make It:

01 - Dissolve sugar in warm water in a large bowl. Sprinkle yeast over the surface and let stand 5–10 minutes until foamy.
02 - Stir salt and oil into the yeast mixture. Gradually add flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing until a soft dough forms that pulls away from bowl sides.
03 - Knead on a lightly floured surface for 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic.
04 - Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
05 - Punch down dough and divide in half. Shape each half into a loaf and place in two greased 9x5-inch loaf pans.
06 - Cover pans and let rise until dough extends 1 inch above the rim, about 30–45 minutes.
07 - Preheat oven to 350°F.
08 - Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden brown and loaves sound hollow when tapped.
09 - Brush tops with melted butter if desired. Remove from pans and cool on a wire rack before slicing.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The texture is incredibly soft and pillowy, perfect for everything from morning toast to midnight snack sandwiches
  • It requires zero special equipment or fancy ingredients, just things you probably already have in your kitchen
  • The dough is remarkably forgiving, making it an ideal starter bread for nervous first-time bakers
02 -
  • The dough should feel tacky but not stick to your hands, trust that feeling over exact measurements
  • Temperature matters more than you think, find the warmest corner of your kitchen for rising
  • Letting the bread cool completely before slicing is absolute torture but prevents squishing those beautiful air pockets
03 -
  • If your kitchen is cold, rise dough in your oven with just the light on
  • Use a kitchen thermometer to check internal temperature, 190 degrees means perfectly baked

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