Some recipes are *almost* too special to share, but I decided I love you all too much to not share this amazing Amish White Bread recipe. If you haven’t locked down your go-to white bread recipe yet, this is it!
Half of the battle on perfecting bread is learning how to shape it, so I’ve included very detailed instructions on how to make sure it turns out perfect every time.
A slice of this bread is amazing served warm from the oven with melted butter and jam, but is equally as amazing toasted the next morning for breakfast. Amish White Bread is comfort food at its best!
The Dough
Start with some warm water, yeast, sugar, and oil mixed together. I think one of the biggest obstacles to making bread is getting the water the right temperature. If the water is too warm, the yeast will die and the bread will not rise properly.
If you have an instant read thermometer, look for the 110-115 F degree range. If you don’t own a thermometer, just hold your hand under the tap and get the water temperature the closest to bath water temperature that you can. If the water feels too warm for you to bathe in, the yeast probably won’t enjoy it either. Those little bubbles mean the yeast is alive and doing its job!
Next add the flour, and lastly the salt. If the salt comes in contact with the yeast too early it can kill the yeast, so you want to keep them separated for as long as you can. PS Am I the only one who can see a lion’s face in the flour??
Knead this dough for 5 minutes on low speed. Pour a little oil over the dough and turn it around in the bowl until all of the sides are coated. Cover and let rise for one hour.
Shaping the Loaves
After 1 hour the dough will look puffy and have approximately doubled in size.
Divide the dough in half and spray the inside of two 9 x 5″ loaf pans with cooking spray. Not all loaf pans are the same size, so try to use pans as close to this size as possible for the most consistent results.
Sprinkle flour on the clean counter and roll out the dough to be about the width of the pan and 18″ long.
Next, roll the dough up into a tight cylinder.
And pinch the edges together to make them smooth and rounded.
Place the loaf into the prepared loaf pan. That’s all there is to it!
Repeat with the second piece of dough and lightly cover with a well greased piece of plastic wrap while it rises on the counter for about an hour until the loaf rises about 1” over the top of the pan.
If your kitchen is warm, or your yeast is especially active, this could take as little as 30 minutes so just keep an eye on things. When the loaves look like this, they are ready to bake!
Baking the Loaves
Before baking:
After baking:
Immediately after removing the loaves from the oven, brush with butter. This will give the bread a soft and shiny crust. I like to use a stick of cold butter to save myself a step. Remove loaves immediately from their pans and let cool for a few minutes before slicing. I know that some people say to let loaves cool completely, but that really seems to defeat the purpose of making homemade bread for me!
I hope this bread brings you lots of happiness!!
Amish White Bread
2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup white sugar
6 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
Directions:
- Add warm water, yeast, sugar, and vegetable oil to a large mixing bowl. Next add the flour and lastly, salt. Knead for 5 minutes on low speed. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a cloth or plastic wrap. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
- Punch down dough and divide in half. Using a rolling pin, roll each half into a rectangle the width of the loaf pan and about 18” long. Using your hands, roll the rectangle up into a loaf shape (see pictures above) and pinch ends to make a tight loaf. Put in a well oiled 9 x 5” loaf pan. Repeat with second piece of dough.
- Allow to rise for 30-60 minutes, or until the dough has risen 1” above pans (see photos above).
- Bake at 350 F degrees (175 C) for 30 minutes. Immediately after removing from oven, brush with melted butter and remove from the pan. Let cool briefly (but not too long!) before serving. Tastes so good toasted the next day also!!
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