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 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.
Ashley says
Hi! I was wondering if 240kcal is per one slice of bread? What is a serving? 1 or 2 slices? And is that 16 slices per loaf?
This is my weekly bread that I make every Thursday! The ginger trick made a world of difference with my yeast. This recipe really is fool proof. Thanks for all the tips throughout the recipe!
Marye says
I usually get 8 slices per loaf but I cut thick. The nutrition info is for 1/8th of the loaf - one slice
Sandra Jackson says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Karen says
I just love this recipe!!!
Could you tell me how many bread slices ( weight) give you 240 cal in the nutritional facts please and thanks.
Marye says
I usually get 8 slices but I've never weighed them.
Jessica Phifer says
Can I use rapid rise yeast with this recipe. If so, when do I add it?
Marye says
Yes, add it with the dry ingredients according to the manufacturer's instructions on the package.
Dot says
Can you add in 1c Amish Friendship dough starter instead of the yeast?
Marye says
No. It's not that kind of bread.
Michele Hamrick says
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I was going to give up trying until I made this! Love it!
Gina says
Excellent taste and easy recipe to follow! I ended up using a bit more flour than the recipe called for but that’s the nature of bread making!
Alexis says
Can you make this gluten free?
Marye says
No. It needs the gluten to rise properly.
Joanna Young-Radke says
I love this recipe, I love the taste but, my bread is dense. What did I do wrong? I followed directions to the letter. Please help.
Marye says
Dense bread is caused by not kneading enough to develop the gluten properly. Be sure you're kneading it long enough for it to feel like your earlobe when you pinch it.
Dorina Smith says
Thank you for sharing this recipe
Sharon says
Marie, I made this bread today as a first time bread baker. Girl, let me tell you, this is the best bread I’ve ever eaten! The loaves turned out beautifully. I’m so proud of myself. I made homemade apple butter yesterday so, I cannot wait to have some on a toasted slice of this bread tomorrow morning. I’m so happy right now!! Thank you so much for the recipe and your wonderful video which I used and baked right along with you. 😃😃😃
Douglas Ruby says
This recipe is just like the bread I remember my mother used to make every weekend in the my youth (I'm 79). I'm now making 2 -4 loaves on the weekends.
Tricia says
Just one question that was not addressed. When bread is frozen how long can it be kept in the freezer, and once defrosted how long will it last ? I love trying new recipes and this is one I will try soon. It’s easy to read and follow,can’t wait to try it.
Tricia D
Marye says
A baked loaf is fine for 3 months or more. I wouldn't keep unbaked bread in the freezer more than a month or so. Once baked bread is defrosted it will be fine for 2-3 days. Dough should be risen and baked immediately.
Susan says
Thank you for sharing this recipe
Deb Moreno says
We love this recipe I use it every time I make bread. Comes out perfect every time. It also makes great burger buns. Thank you
Deb Moreno says
This is my go to bread recipe. I've made it so many times I don't even measure the flour just eyeball it.
It makes great sandwich buns or dinner rolls.
Peggy says
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I’ve been making it for years, it always turns out perfect, deliciously sweet and fluffy!! Absolutely irresistible!! That wonderful yeasty aroma!!
Carolyn says
I have made this bread 3 times and it is now my go-to bread recipe. It has a great crumb and can be sliced thinly for sandwiches without falling apart, yet stays moist. The dough does raise slower than I’m accustomed to, so the 3rd time I made it I did add a tiny pinch of ginger and it helped. Next time I will add a little bigger pinch. There is no ginger taste at all. I highly recommend this recipe.
Alan says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Noah says
Measurements for flour felt pretty far off. Ended up using 7 and a half cups.
Marye says
The flour measurements can vary - they are absolutely accurate for me in this recipe.
Jeanne M. says
My new daily bread. It is one that my husband does not mind slicing himself. Excellent crumb, and a very dependable turn out every time.