No-Fail Amish White Bread

You may have heard this called milk bread. Make this by hand or in a bread machine - both instructions are included. It freezes well, too!

Be sure to read to the end where I'll be sharing my best tips for getting yeast dough to rise!

Don't want to scroll through the page to get to the recipe? Use the table of contents to click on the section you want.

🗝️ Key takeaways

• Over 2000 5 star reviews and thousands of comments from readers like you means that you can be confident that this recipe works!
• This is a soft sandwich loaf, similar to a commercial white bread in texture, so it's perfect for everything from breakfast toast to sandwiches.
• Be sure to read the Help it rise section for my tips and getting a tall fluffy loaf of bread!

🧾 Ingredients

If you are looking for the homemade equivalent of Wonder Bread you'll definitely want to try this classic Amish white bread! It is somewhat sweet — and when I say somewhat I mean like those fabulous, hot dinner rolls they have at Logan's Roadhouse or Hawaiian rolls.

If you want a real treat try it with a spoonful of this apricot pineapple jam!

You can find a list of tools and helpful information on the Essentials page.

📖 Variations

Here some of my favorite variations.

• Dinner rolls - just make this dough all the way through shaping and then follow my cloverleaf rolls instructions.
• Cinnamon rolls -make big fluffy cinnamon rolls with this dough and these instructions.
• Sweet rolls
• Hamburger buns
• Cinnamon swirl loaf
• Add 2 cups raisins
• Add 2 cups chocolate chips
• Add 2 cups chopped nuts

Since this recipe freezes so well you can make several batches to have on hand when you need them.

Amish white bread is one of the main breads on my list of homemade pantry staples because it's so easy!

🔪 Instructions

Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.

1. Mix the yeast, sugar, and warm water.
2. Let it get foamy.
3. Mix in the flour and knead until it is soft and elastic - it will feel like your earlobe when you squeeze a bit between your thumb and forefinger. Weird but true.
4. Place in an oiled bowl and cover.
5. Let rise until doubled.
6. Check by pushing your finger in. If the indent stays it has doubled.
7. Punch down.
8. Shape and place in greased loaf pan - let rise.
9. Bake.

🎥 Video: How to knead bread

🍞 Bread flour or all-purpose

This recipe works best with bread flour but you can also use all-purpose if you like. Just be aware that the texture may be a little more dense and your loaf will not rise as high. 

If you are using all-purpose flour and you happen to have some wheat gluten around you can replace 1 tablespoon of flour with 1 tablespoon of gluten for every cup.

That will give it the rise and fluffiness you're looking for in this sweet white bread.

🥫 How to store leftover Amish white bread

Let the finished bread cool completely then wrap in plastic wrap, use an airtight container, or use a bread bag.

Homemade bread gets stale more quickly than commercial breads so plan on eating or freezing within 2 days.

To freeze

To freeze just wrap in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months.

I like to slice the bread before freezing and place parchment paper between the slices so I can thaw just one or two pieces at a time.

💭 Things to know

If you've had trouble with homemade bread recipes before be sure to read these posts on troubleshooting and tips:

• Yeast Baking Tips 1
• Yeast Baking Tips 2
• Troubleshooting

Expert Tip: A whole egg can be beaten with a tablespoon of water and then brushed on the top. This results in a shiny, golden-brown crust.

• If you want something less sweet you can cut the sugar in half. It will change the texture a bit but will still be great.
• This is one recipe I don't often use butter in. I use organic extra-virgin coconut oil because it adds just a little flavor to the bread. Light vegetable oil will work, too. Try it with coconut oil,  light vegetable oil, or melted butter and just see what you like best. Make sure whatever you use is melted and cooled to 100F before adding.
• The dough has been kneaded enough when it feels somewhat like your earlobe when you pinch it. When you gently pull on it the dough will stretch a little instead of breaking off.

Leftover angel chicken warmed up and served over a thick slice of this homemade bread is one of my favorite quick and easy meals. Try it!

🔪 Equipment

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I use a Bosch to make bread with. I love my Kitchenaid but it just doesn't handle heavy doughs as well as I'd like. If you plan on making bread often I'd recommend saving up for a Bosch. It lasts forever. You won't regret it.

You'll also need -

• two 9  by 5 inch loaf pans (measured from outside edge to outside edge. 1- ½ quart)
• instant read thermometer

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🎈 Help it rise!

There are definitely a lot of ways to get yeast dough to rise - such as keeping it in the oven with the light on, etc.

My favorite is to use a natural dough enhancer like one of these-

• Ground ginger helps to activate the yeast and really get it going.
• Potato water strengthens the structure of the dough allowing it to rise higher.

Click through to 5 Ingredients to Help Your Bread Rise to find more great ideas including a recipe for a natural dough enhancer.

👩‍🍳 FAQs

📚 Related recipes

Once you make your own bread you'll want to try your hand at different types of yeast baking! Here are some of my favorites.

• Vienna rolls are an old-fashioned yeast roll that were served at fancy restaurants. They are delicious as sandwich rolls, finger rolls, or made into a loaf.
• There's nothing like hot from the fryer homemade donuts!
• Angel biscuits are a cross between a dinner roll and a biscuit. They're a southern favorite.

📞 The last word

Many people have asked me if you "have" to use bread flour. The bread will rise higher and lighter if you do but you can substitute all-purpose flour.

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

4.67 from 2489 votes

Amish White Bread

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Amish white bread is an easy, tender sandwich loaf that slices easily without crumbling. Its velvety texture and sweet flavor make it a hit with the kids. Freezes well. This easy beginner recipe has millions of saves on Pinterest and thousands of 5-star reviews from happy bakers!

Course Bread

Cuisine Amercian Heritage

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Rising Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings:16 2 loaves

Calories:240

Author:Marye Audet-White

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Equipment Needed

• ▢
  Stand mixer
• ▢
  loaf pans
• ▢
  insta-read thermometer

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 cup water, 110F
• ▢ 1 pinch powdered ginger, optional - activates yeast
• ▢ 1 cup milk, 110F
• ▢ ⅔ cup sugar, (you can use less)
• ▢ 1 ½ tablespoons active dry yeast
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ▢ ¼ cup vegetable oil, coconut oil works really well here (melt it first and let it cool to 100F)! OR use melted butter
• ▢ 5-½ cups bread flour, you may need a little more or a little less
• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter, melted

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Instructions

Conventional method

• Dissolve the sugar in the warm water and milk in a large bowl.
• Whisk in the yeast (and ginger if using).
• Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the yeast mixture gets foamy.
• Stir in 1 cup of the flour.
• Whisk in the salt and oil.
• With the mixer running add the remaining flour, one cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the bowl.
• Knead by machine about 5 minutes.

Hand kneading

• If you are hand kneading mix in the flour until you have a sticky dough, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic - adding flour as needed.

Rising and shaping

• Oil a large bowl and place the ball of dough in it.
• Oil the top of the dough and then cover with a damp cloth.
• Allow it to rise until it has doubled in bulk. This will take about an hour.
• Punch the dough down.
• Knead for three minutes or so and divide in half.
• Let rest for five minutes.
• Shape into loaves and then place in greased 9x5-inch loaf pans.
• Brush the tops with the melted butter.
• Let rise for 30 minutes, or until the dough has risen an inch or so above the pans.
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, or until loaves sound hollow when tapped.

For a soft crust

• For a soft crust butter the tops and place a clean tea towel over the baked loaves as soon as you take them out of the oven. Let them cool for about 5 minutes and then take them out of the pans to finish cooling, covering them back up with the tea towel.

Bread machine instructions

• Add ingredients to your bread machine in the order the manufacturer recommends.
• Select white bread cycle.
• Press "start".
• When the dough has risen once and second cycle of kneading begins, turn the machine off. Press "start" again to reset the machine.
• The dough will rise a second time before it bakes.

Notes

Storage:

Store wrapped in plastic wrap or aluminum foil for up to 2 days at room temperature. Freeze for longer storage.

Since this fluffy white bread freezes so well you can make several batches to have on hand when you need them. Give this Buttermilk Bread a try, too!

Tips

• If you want something less sweet you can cut the sugar in half. It will change the texture a bit but will still be great.
• This is one recipe I don't often use butter in. I use organic extra-virgin coconut oil because it adds just a little flavor to the bread. A light vegetable oil will work, too. Try it with coconut oil,  light vegetable oil, or melted butter and just see what you like best. Make sure whatever you use is melted and cooled to 100F before adding.

Help with rising

There are definitely a lot of ways to get yeast doughs to rise - such as keeping it in the oven with the light on, etc. My favorite is to use a natural dough enhancer like one of these-

• Ground ginger helps to activate the yeast and really get it going.
• Potato water strengthens the structure of the dough allowing it to rise higher.
• Click through to 5 Ingredients to Help Your Bread Rise (updated for 2020) to find more great ideas including a recipe for a natural dough enhancer -

You'll find more helpful tips and variations in the body of the post.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 239mg | Potassium: 67mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 68IU | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Originally published April 2014. Last updated July 31, 2023 for more helpful information.