Amish White Bread Loaf

Sometimes the Amish just know how to do things right!

Like this bread for instance. Its totally soft, like… melt in your mouth soft! And totally delicious, eat plain kind of delicious. And super simple, 6 ingredients kind of simple. No eggs, butter or milk needed (I believe that makes it vegan friendly).

If yeast intimidates you, as it once did me, don’t let it be a bully!! This is super simple stuff!! Toss everything together, knead by hand or mixer or even bread machine, and let it rise. Shape it, and let it rise again, then bake and ENJOY!!

Now let’s get yeasty!!

Amish White Bread Loaf
Yields 2 loaves (recipe halves well)

Ingredients:
2 cups Warm Tap Water (test On Your Wrist, Should Be Warm Like A Baby Bottle)
1-½ Tablespoon Dry Yeast
⅔ cups Sugar (Use 1 Teaspoon Of This In With Yeast Mixture)
1-½ teaspoon Salt
¼ cups Oil
5-½ cups Bread Flour (Or Whole Wheat, Or All Purpose Flour)
Melted Butter, For Brushing The Top Of Finished Loaves, Optional

Directions:
1. Put water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of sugar in a bowl, set aside for 10 minutes while yeast proofs.

2. Meanwhile pour the rest of the sugar as well as the salt, oil and flour into mixer bowl. When yeast proofs, add to other ingredients in mixer bowl and using a dough hook, mix for 8 minutes on 1 or 2 setting.

3. Pour into a large greased bowl, cover and set aside for 1-1/2 hours if using bread flour. When through rising, gently deflate dough and divide the dough in half. By hand, fold and shape dough into two loaves and place in two 9 x 4 greased loaf pans. Let rise for 30-45 minutes. Bake at 325 degrees (F) for 35 minutes.

4. Turn out of pans onto a cooling rack and brush tops with butter. Test for doneness by thumping on bottom of loaf – it should sound hollow. Cut end off, slather on butter and eat!!!

(If you use all purpose flour, rising time will not be as long. The prep time includes first rising time. It only takes about 15 mnutes to actually get this ready to rise. On dry days 5-1/2 cups of flour works up great, with high humidity you may have to use a little more flour.)

*The only things I’d like to note is that rise times are just an estimate!! If your dough hasn’t doubled, give it some extra time. If you only have time for the first rise just cover it and let it rise in the refrigerator. When you are ready for the second rise, let it come to room temperature and proceed. Also, make sure that you put your dough in a draft free space. An oven (turned off, of course) is a great place, as is a microwave (bonus: boil a cup of water in the microwave beforehand, remove it and place your bread in there to rise.)

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