Imagine a loaf so amazing that even your toaster will do a double-take. Behold the marvel that is Amish White Bread—a bread so delightfully fluffy and subtly sweet, it could charm the crust off a baguette. Join the 2,500+ home bakers who call this their go-to white bread. You’ll see why after the first slice.
You’ll find the printable recipe card a little further down—but if you want the story (and the secrets), keep reading.
🎧 Too busy to scroll? listen instead
Pull up a chair, grab your coffee, and hit play—I'll walk you through the Amish white bread recipe with tips, tricks, and a few flour-dusted secrets. Then we’ll head on down to Picklefork, Texas, where the bread’s hot, the stories are hotter, and childhood memories bake up fresh every time.
Table of Contents
🎥 Watch and cook: step-by-step video tutorial
This soft, fluffy Amish white bread is pure comfort in loaf form—perfect for sandwiches, toast, or slathering with butter while it’s still warm. Be sure to watch the video to catch all the tips for getting that perfect rise and golden crust every time.
🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
If you are looking for the homemade equivalent of Wonder Bread you'll definitely want to try this classic Amish white bread!
Ginger’s totally optional—it won’t flavor the bread, promise. It just gives the yeast a little motivational pep talk to get rising faster.
🍞 Do I have to use bread flour?
All-purpose works in a pinch, but bread flour gives you a fluffier rise. If you’ve got vital wheat gluten on hand, swap in a tablespoon per cup to help boost it.
Be sure to download the free Amish White Bread Cheat Sheet with tips, faqs, storage, and more.
📖 Recipe
Amish White Bread Recipe
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 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
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. An instant-read thermometer will register 190℉ when poked into the center of the loaf when it's done.
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
- 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.
- 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 -
Nutrition Facts
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.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
🔪 How to make Amish white bread
Since this recipe freezes so well you can make several batches to have on hand when you need them.
- Mix the yeast, sugar, and warm water.
- Let it get foamy.
- Mix in the flour and knead until it is soft and elastic - squeeze a bit between your thumb and forefinger. Weird but true - if your dough feels like your earlobe, you're in the zone. (Welcome to the exclusive club of people who fondle their own ears while baking.)
- Place in an oiled bowl and cover.
- Let rise until doubled.
- Check by pushing your finger in. If the indent stays it has doubled.
- Punch down.
- Shape and place in a greased loaf pan - let rise. Bake.
Marye's Tips
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.
If you've had trouble with homemade bread recipes before be sure to read these posts on troubleshooting and tips:
Don't forget to to download the Amish White Bread Cheat Sheet with tips, faqs, storage, and more. It’s packed with secrets I wish someone had told me before my first sad, under-risen loaf. Snag it now—it’s free and fabulous.
📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
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. Perfect for fancy Sunday suppers.
- There's nothing like hot from the fryer homemade donuts! Saturday morning childhood memories in fried form.
- Angel biscuits are a cross between a dinner roll and a biscuit. They're a southern favorite. Great with leftover ham or butter and honey.
Have you made this bread? Did you sneak the first slice warm from the oven like I do? Tell me in the comments—Reva Mae says it doesn’t count as stealing if it’s still cooling.
Anasasha says
This is by far the best bread recipe I have found!
Michelle Mincey says
I am going to try this recipe! Can’t wait to see if my loaves are as beautiful as yours. I read you use a Bosch to make your bread. I almost bought a new Bosch about 3 weeks ago but dug in to some research and bought an Ankarsrum instead…I AM IN LOVE!!! Have you ever seen one of these BEAST?
Marye says
I had not... but I just went and looked... and they look amazing.
Linda says
Can you use whole wheat flour? Do you ever use lecithin?
Marye says
You can - the result will be quite a bit heavier so I'd recommend substituting 1 tablespoon of gluten for 1 tablespoon of flour per cup...No, I don't normally use lecithin.
chris dubeault says
Hello , is the dough suppose to be heavy? Not sure what I did wrong ….thanks
Marye says
No - if the dough is heavy the yeast may be dead or it isn't kneaded enough.
Thomas Prisco says
New to baking bread,so far this is the best I've made!
Christa says
You say it can be frozen? Is it only after baking that it can be? I’m just thinking about dinner rolls or ready to bake cinnamon rolls. If it would bake well after frozen raw?
Marye says
You can freeze it before or after baking. If you are freezing it raw add a bit more yeast.
Toni Breeden says
That is the best bread I have ever made!! It is so soft and so tasty!! I will make it all the time!!
sue says
I am 80 years young and never have made home made bread. Looking forward to trying these delicious breads. Will have to increase my exercises to counter act all those good calories!!!
Patricia says
Can you use bleach free flour?
Marye says
yes.
Pam theobald says
Love this bread
I use my bread machine dough setting to mix, however when I put it in the pans it will rise nice but when baking I end up with an air bubble. Recipe calls for 1 1/2 tablespoon of yeast do I need to cut back on the yeast. I am using bread flour.
Marye says
That's generally from underproofing the dough or sometimes for not shaping the loaf firmly.
Juanita Sanchez says
Made Brea very easy, also made cinnamon rolls.
Lois jones says
This is my go to recipe for wonderful, soft, delicious bread. I love all your recipes and have used many others, thank you for all the great recipes.
Linda Welsh says
It was ok but nothing to write home about…
Tammie says
This is by far one of the easiest recipes I have tried. Thank you so much for all the helpful tips.
Carmen says
Can I use all purpose flour?
Marye says
yes.
Deb says
Outstanding!😋👍😁
Lisa R. says
If I’m using my bread Machine should I use rapid rise, bread machine yeast?
Marye says
I don't use a bread machine - I never have - so I'm not sure about that. Sorry.
Karen says
do you have a Gluten Free Equivalent
Marye says
No, sorry. I don't do gluten free.
Mark C says
This bread is amazing. I have made a couple loaves of bread a couple times a year since I was 15 (I’m 51 this year).
I was looking for a nice bread I could bake and bring to dinner with my brothers new in-laws. (I am the only family my brother has left)
His entire family was amazed. With only 7 of us there we went through both loaves at dinner.
I will never tweak this recipe nor I buy bread ever again.
Cindy Hartranft says
I was wondering about making dinner rolls. What type pan do I use??? And what do I use for cinnamon swirl bread??? I LOVE this bread but would like to do different things with the dough. Thanks
Marye says
If you check the recipe index you'll find recipes for rolls and for cinnamon swirl bread. You can use this dough for either of those then proceed as the instructions direct.
Beth Bauer says
Just made this today. Was excellent. When making the dinner rolls about how many does it make? And can you walk me through that process of splitting the dough, and resting etc.
Marye says
Beth if you check the recipe index there are recipes for yeast rolls. Use this dough and follow those instructions.