Homemade Amish White Bread

Amish white bread is a tasty, easy and fairly quick way to make homemade bread.  I like to make on the weekend, Saturday is best because this recipe makes two loaves. You have a loaf for both Saturday and Sunday night dinner.  I paired it with beef stroganoff on Saturday and pot roast on Sunday.

Amish White Bread recipe

2 cups warm water (110 degrees, test with food thermometer)

2/3 cup of white sugar

1 1/2 tablespoon active dry yeast

1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

6 cups of bread flour

* optional 1tablespoon  dry herbs added to the flour to make herbed bread

Put warm water and sugar into a large bowl.  Stir to dissolve the sugar.

Add active dry yeast and stir.  The mixture will start to form bubbles on top.  The water must be 110 degrees for the yeast to bubble.

Next mix salt and oil into the yeast mixture. Stir well.

Next mix in flour, one cup at a time.  In higher elevations (above 5000 feet), you may need to add an extra tablespoon of water.

Stir well.  There may be some loose flour in the bowl. Don't worry it will absorb when you knead the dough.

Turn dough ball out onto a lightly floured surface.  Knead well incorporating all the flour.

Lightly oil a bowl.  Place the dough ball into the bowl and coat all sides with the oil. Sprinkle with a little flour.

Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in warm place for 1 hour.

The dough will double in size.  Remove from the bowl and place on floured surface.  Punch it down, really punch, it fells good.   Then separate the dough into two equal portions.

Place loaf in a 9"x5" well-oiled loaf pan and let rise for another 30 minutes.

The dough should fill the pan.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 25 to 30 minutes (depending on elevation).  Check at 25 minutes and if the bread looks golden brown then it's done.

Remove bread from oven and loaf pan and then place bread on a rack to cool.  Try to resist cutting into it right away but if you can't help yourself then do it.  There's nothing better than oven hot bread with butter.

I suggest baking one loaf at a time, for more even baking.