Homemade Amish White Bread (Printable Version)

Soft, pillowy white bread with gentle sweetness. Creates two perfect golden loaves for sandwiches, toast, or enjoying fresh from the oven.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 5 ½ to 6 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
03 - 2 teaspoons salt

→ Wet Ingredients

04 - 2 cups warm water (110–115°F)
05 - ⅓ cup granulated sugar
06 - ¼ cup vegetable oil

# How To Make It:

01 - In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water. Sprinkle yeast over the water and let stand for 5–10 minutes until frothy.
02 - Add oil and salt to the yeast mixture, stirring until well incorporated.
03 - Gradually add 5 cups of flour, mixing until a soft dough forms. If needed, add additional flour, ¼ cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
04 - Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 6–8 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
05 - Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
06 - Punch down dough and divide in half. Shape each half into a loaf and place in greased 9x5-inch loaf pans.
07 - Cover and let rise again for 30–40 minutes, or until the dough rises about 1 inch above the rim of the pans.
08 - Preheat oven to 350°F.
09 - Bake for 30–35 minutes, until golden brown and loaves sound hollow when tapped.
10 - Remove from pans and cool on a wire rack before slicing.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The texture is impossibly soft and pillowly, exactly what you want in a sandwich bread
  • It requires zero special equipment and uses ingredients you probably already have
  • The recipe is forgiving enough for beginners but impressive enough for experienced bakers
02 -
  • Water temperature is critical too hot will kill the yeast, too cold wont activate it properly
  • The dough should feel tacky but not sticky, and smooth rather than rough when you finish kneading
  • Underbaked bread will have a dense, gummy center, so trust the hollow tap test over visual cues alone
03 -
  • Weighing your flour instead of using cup measures gives you the most consistent results every time
  • If your kitchen is particularly cold or dry, the rising time might take longer than stated

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