Amish White Bread

Amish White Bread is an American sweet-style loaf made with sugar, milk, and butter for a soft, tender crumb and lightly sweet flavor. The dough starts with warm milk, water, sugar, and yeast, then gets mixed with flour, salt, and melted butter before being kneaded until smooth. After two rises-one in the bowl and one in the loaf pan-the bread bakes into a domed, golden loaf with a fine, pillowy texture. A quick brush of butter over the hot crust keeps it soft and adds extra flavor. This bread slices beautifully for sandwiches, toast, and French toast.

Amish White Bread

Amish White Bread with Milk and Butter is a soft, lightly sweet American loaf made with sugar, milk, and melted butter, baked in a pan for a tender crumb and golden, sandwich-ready slices.

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Rising Time 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Servings: 12 slices

Course: Loaf

Cuisine: American

Calories: 160

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour about 375 g, plus extra for kneading
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 2¼ tsp active dry or instant yeast one standard packet
• 1 cup warm milk about 110°F
• ¼ cup warm water about 110°F
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter melted

Equipment

• Large mixing bowl
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Wooden spoon
• Small saucepan or microwave-safe cup
• Clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap
• 9×5 inch loaf pan
• Oven mitts

Method

 

Activate yeast and mix liquids

1. Pour 1 cup warm milk and ¼ cup warm water into a large mixing bowl using measuring cups; the liquid should feel warm but not hot to the touch.
2. Add ¼ cup sugar and 2¼ tsp yeast to the bowl, then stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar dissolves.
3. Let the mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes until a creamy foam forms on top, showing the yeast is active.

Form the dough

1. Stir in 3 tbsp melted butter with the wooden spoon until combined.
2. Add 2 cups flour and 1 tsp salt to the bowl and mix with the wooden spoon until a thick, sticky batter forms.
3. Add the remaining 1 cup flour gradually, about ¼ cup at a time, stirring after each addition until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and forms a soft mass.

Knead and first rise

1. Lightly flour a clean surface, then turn the dough out of the bowl onto the flour.
2. Knead the dough by pushing it away with the heel of your hand, folding it back over itself, and turning it, sprinkling just enough flour to keep it from sticking, for about 8 minutes until the dough feels smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but not sticky.
3. Shape the dough into a ball and place it back into the large mixing bowl lightly greased with a few drops of oil, turning the dough once so the top is coated.
4. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm, draft-free spot for about 1 hour, until the dough doubles in size and leaves an indentation when pressed gently with a fingertip.

Shape and second rise

1. Lightly grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
2. Punch down the risen dough gently with your fist to release excess gas, then turn it onto a lightly floured surface and pat it into a rectangle roughly the length of the pan.
3. Roll the rectangle up tightly from the short end into a log, pinching the seam closed with your fingers, then tuck the ends under slightly.
4. Place the log seam side down in the loaf pan, cover with the kitchen towel, and let it rise for 35 to 45 minutes until the dough domes about 1 inch above the rim of the pan.

Bake

1. Place the loaf pan on the middle rack of a preheated 350°F oven using oven mitts.
2. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes until the top is golden and the loaf sounds hollow when you tap it gently with your fingers.

Finish and cool

1. Remove the pan from the oven with oven mitts and immediately brush the top of the hot loaf with 1 tbsp melted butter for a soft, glossy crust.
2. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then gently turn it out onto a rack or cutting board and cool completely before slicing to keep the crumb from squashing.

Notes

• Use liquids that are warm to the touch, not hot, so the yeast activates without being killed.
• The dough should feel soft and slightly tacky after kneading; adding too much flour will make the loaf dense instead of fluffy.
• This bread freezes well sliced; wrap tightly and thaw slices at room temperature or toast straight from frozen.