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.
Mariloy says
I've made this several times now and it's no fail. The taste is awesome. We have a hurricane coming so I'm going to pop 2 loaves in the oven as part of my storm prep Thank you for this awesome recipe
Marye says
I am so glad you like it!
Pam Eaton says
Can I use self rising flour ??
Marye says
No. Self rising has baking powder/baking soda in it. You want bread flour or all-purpose for this.
Janet says
Thank you so much for posting this recipe. I absolutely love it. It is the first homemade bread that I ever got my husband to eat. And it’s so easy.
Marye says
So glad you like it!!
June Lewis says
Can't wait to try this. Will let you know how it turns out. Looks wonderful!!
Mrs. Kale says
Can plant based milk be used?
Marye says
Yes - that should work fine. It might be less rich because of less fat content.
Peggy Carroll-Tornberg says
So how do you make this in a bread machine if it makes 2 loaves of bread?? Or do you take the dough out and then bake it? It doesn’t really specify.
Marye says
I don't use a bread machine - the readers that have used one generally make half a recipe.
Mags says
Is the nutritional information for the whole recipe, per loaf or per slice? Great recipe.... Loving this bread and makes great hamburger buns too... Added some sesame seeds and Bam!
Marye says
The recipe makes 2 loaves - the nutritional information is per slice, based on 8 slices from each loaf - so it will changed depending on how thick you cut it. I do love it for all kinds of things from cinnamon rolls to burger buns. So glad you're loving the recipe!
Mrs. N. McCusker in Arvada, CO says
This was a HUGE hit with my family. We have my parents living with us, and I was paid the best compliment from my mom, she said that it was better than my grandmothers!! She was a prolific baker so I am honored to have her say that, I have you to thank for it! The first loaf was almost gone last night and the rest of it will be used with supper tonight. I can't wait to make this again, and with the way it is disappearing, it will be very soon!
Gracie says
Made this tonight - it was fantastic! One loaf quickly disappeared with my husband and 3 kids.
How do you make it a cinnamon swirl bread?
Marye says
Just roll it out in a rectangle, spread with melted butter and a cinnamon sugar mixture then roll it up - or follow the directions here - https://www.restlesschipotle.com/buttermilk-cinnamon-bread/
Carla St Germain says
I made this bread a few days ago. It is the best bread I have ever made. It has a sweetness to it that is wonderful. My husband and I ate a piece while it was still warm and it was amazing. I chose to make it in my Kitchenaid mixer and get 2 loaves rather than in my bread machine. I froze 1 loaf so I would have some for later. I will make this again and serve it at family gatherings. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I am going to share it with my fellow bread makers.
Debra Reynolds says
Can you use whole wheat flour for this recipe.
I make the original all the time and love it.
Marye says
You can - I'd use either some gluten or part white to keep it light, though.
CHERYL says
Delish....i dont haveva stand mixer, but mixed with a large whisk until I got 4 cups of flour in, then turned onto board and kneeded the restvof the flour in. So good and soft!!
Venita says
I need to use less sugar . How far can I cut it back without ruining my bread
Marye says
you can cut it to about 2 tablespoons but there will be a big difference in flavor.
MJ says
This was delicious! I used all purpose flour and it turned out perfect, everyone loved it. I shared the bread and your website with family. Thank you!
Dena Kastner says
Loved this bread. First time making bread from scratch, other than not getting a rise 1inch above edge I got about 1/2inch, it was beautiful!
My husband thought it was a little sweet for his taste but he loved the texture. He grew up on homemade bread that was very heavy and dense and wasn’t thrilled that I was going to make bread.
Linda Flescher says
I have been baking bread for a long time. This dough came together so effortlessly, made two beautiful loaves one of which is basically gone! I used soy milk as I am lactose intolerant , and regular vegetable oil. It is addictive and delicious!
Acquanette Edwards says
Awesome! Made it and it was PERFECT..light, fluffy and tasty! Took a picture but couldn’t post it! Will definitely make it again!
Michelle says
This is my third time making this bread. My family LOVES IT! If I were to freeze the dough, would it be before the first rise?
Donna says
I have a Zojirushi breadmachine and it goes through 2 rises for white bread. So I would imagine I don't need to stop it and start over?
Brenda says
Can you use all-purpose flour?