Homemade Amish White Bread- Two Ways

Slightly Sweet, chewy homemade Amish white bread brushed with egg wash and topped with fresh rosemary and kosher salt.

MAking Homemade Amish White Bread

This homemade Amish white bread was the very first bread recipe I ever made! It is a very good beginner bread because it is so easy to make. It only takes a couple ingredients and you can hand knead or use a stand mixer. Amish bread is very similar to a typical white loaf bread- except that it is a little more dense and slightly sweet.

This recipe calls for “active dry” commercial yeast, as opposed to wild yeast or “instant” yeast, and is very easy to work with. It’s a good idea to check the date on the package to make sure it hasn’t expired. The very first thing you do in this recipe is to “proof” or activate the yeast. This is a very important step, because it will tell you whether or not your yeast is ready to leaven your bread.

So to prove your yeast, you will combine 2 Cups of lukewarm water (no warmer than 115*F!) and 2/3 Cup of Table Sugar. Once the sugar has dissolved, sprinkle the 1 1/2 Tbsp of yeast on top of the sugar water. After ten minutes, the yeast should be “foamy” and bubbly, which means it is activated and ready to go!

Once your yeast is ready to go, add in the oil in salt. Next, begin adding the flour one cup at a time until all the flour is incorporated. The dough should hold together and be firm enough to begin kneading. If the dough is too sticky, add a Tbsp or two more of flour until it is firm enough to work with. If it is too dry and crumbly, wet your hands with lukewarm water a few times until it holds together.

Kneading homemade amish white bread

To begin kneading, simply hold the dough with both hands and push it down and away from you on a clean countertop or work surface. You want to knead the dough until it becomes smooth and develops enough gluten content to pass the windowpane test. Once it has, place the dough into a well oiled bowl and cover it with a towel. Allow the dough to rise for one hour. Once it has risen, it is time to shape your loaves before the second rise.

shaping your homemade amish bread loaf

To shape your loaves, simply divide the dough into two balls of dough with a dough scraper or knife. Roll out each ball of dough into a loose rectangle. Fold one of the long ends halfway to the center of the rectangle. Then fold the other long end in to the center of the rectangle so that both ends now meet in the center of the dough. Press down both folded sides and then fold one folded side over the other, tucking the last folded side under the bottom of the loaf. Finally, tuck both ends of dough underneath the loaf and transfer it in to a pan to “rest” and rise, covered, for one more hour.

amish white bread loaf with egg wash

Homemade Amish White Dinner Rolls

To make dinner rolls, you just follow the normal instructions for baking this homemade Amish white bread. But instead of shaping into loaves, you just roll out small dough balls. I always weigh my dinner rolls to 52 grams each because I like the uniformity, but if you like to live on the wild side I’m sure you could eye-ball it. I like to bake mine in the cast iron skillet, but you could also use a glass or aluminum pan- or even a baking sheet. The bake time should be very comparable. Just watch the tops for a nice golden brown during the bake. After you have patted out all the rolls and transfer them to your baking pan of choice, cover them again with a towel and allow them to rest and rise, covered, for one hour.

Homemade Amish Dinner Rolls
amish white dinner rolls with egg wash

Brush with egg wash and bake

Whether I’m making a bread loaf or a pan of dinner rolls, I like to brush the dough with an egg wash just before baking. This gives them a nice shiny effect. I take a whole egg, crack it into a mug, add a couple tablespoons of water and mix thoroughly. Then I brush the tops lightly with the wash. Before it dries, add some chopped fresh rosemary and a sprinkle of Kosher salt. Perfection! Pop them into the oven to bake according to the directions below.

faq about homemade amish white bread

Can I substitute bread flour for the All purpose flour? While you technically can substitute bread flour for all purpose, it contains a higher protein content, which produces a chewier, denser loaf of bread. Since you typically want a loaf bread to be light and fluffy, all purpose is the better choice for this recipe.

Why did my bread not rise? A few things could have happened. First, make sure that you are using active dry, fully activated yeast. Always use lukewarm, NOT hot water, and allow your bread to “rest” for the full first and second rise time. Also, make sure that you are allowing your dough to rise in a warm but not hot environment. Yeast loves warmth, but too high temps can kill it.

Can I substitute something else for the sugar? You can substitute organic maple syrup or honey in a one to one ratio for the sugar in this recipe. You can add slightly more sugar for a sweeter loaf, or slightly less for a less sweet loaf. However, I would not omit the sugar entirely because it “feeds” the yeast and helps give you a light and fluffy end result.

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Amish White dinner Rolls with egg wash

Homemade Amish White Bread Recipe

Callie Morgan
Slightly Sweet, chewy white Amish loaf bread brushed with egg wash and topped with fresh rosemary and kosher salt.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Course Bread
Cuisine American
Servings 2 loaves

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Cups Lukewarm Water
  • 2/3 Cup Table Sugar
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp Active Dry Yeast
  • 1 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1/3 Cup Olive Oil
  • 6 Cups Unbleached All Purpose Flour

Instructions
 

  • Dissolve the sugar in lukewarm water and stir in yeast. Allow the yeast to proof. (It should look foamy and take 5-10 minutes.)
  • Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Add flour one cup at a time until all the flour is incorporated. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough becomes smooth. If the dough is too sticky, add 1 Tbsp of flour. If the dough is too dry, run warm water over your hands and continue kneading.
  • Once the dough is smooth, place it into a well oiled bowl covered with a towel, and let it rise for 1 hour.
  • Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and half the dough with a knife or dough scraper.
    – If making bread, shape each half into a ball and knead a few times, then shape into loaves and put them into 9 x 5 loaf pans.
    -If making rolls, measure each roll out to roughly 52 grams and place into a pan or baking sheet.
    Cover with a towel and let rise 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
  • Preheat the oven to 350. Brush with a mixture of egg and (2 Tbsp) water.
    Loaves bake for 30-35 minutes.
    Rolls bake for 20-25 minutes.
Keyword Amish Bread, Dinner Rolls

Looking for more bread recipes?

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Your First Sourdough Boule: Everything You Need to Know

2 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    5 star recipe! These turned out fabulous. I made the rolls version and they were so simple yet presented like an all-day-effort dish. The taste was melt in your mouth delicious but by far the best part of this recipe is the TEXTURE. The dough is the perfect balance of dry and wet ingredients. Literally didn’t have to add any flour, which almost never seems to happen with soft bread recipes. It came together super easily and the ending texture was substantial yet light. They baked up beautifully. I would rate this as a beginner bread recipe with pro results! Will make again- soon!

  2. 5 stars
    I love this! The bread looks so yummy. The review above makes me want to make it right away. I don’t know how to make bread so I appreciate your precise instructions. I’m so glad you explained about the warm yeast. Keep the recipes coming. Shalom

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