Easy Amish White Bread (Milk Bread Style) 🍞✨
Say “Yum” and this one’s yours!
🥖 Introduction
Easy Amish White Bread is the kind of bread that feels like home—soft, slightly sweet, and velvety inside with a tender golden crust. Often called milk bread, this classic loaf is perfect for sandwiches, toast, grilled cheese, or simply slathered with butter while still warm. It’s beginner-friendly, forgiving, and can be made by hand or in a bread machine. Bonus: it freezes beautifully, so you can always have homemade bread on hand.
🧺 Ingredients
Makes 2 standard loaves
- 2 cups warm milk (about 110°F / 43°C)
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1½ tablespoons active dry yeast
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 6 cups all-purpose flour (start with 5½, add as needed)
👩🍳 Instructions (Overview)
- Activate the yeast in warm milk and sugar
- Mix in butter, salt, and flour
- Knead until smooth and elastic
- Let the dough rise until doubled
- Shape into loaves
- Rise again
- Bake until golden and fluffy
🔧 Methods
Method 1: By Hand (Traditional Way)
- In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm milk. Sprinkle yeast on top and let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy.
- Stir in melted butter and salt.
- Gradually add flour, mixing until a soft dough forms.
- Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise 1–1½ hours, until doubled.
- Punch down dough, divide into two equal portions, and shape into loaves.
- Place in greased loaf pans, cover, and let rise 30–45 minutes.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25–30 minutes, until golden and hollow-sounding when tapped.
- Brush tops with butter (optional) and cool.
Method 2: Bread Machine
- Add ingredients to the bread machine pan in this order: milk, sugar, butter, salt, flour, yeast.
- Select the Dough or Basic/White Bread setting.
- If using dough cycle only, remove after first rise, shape, rise again, and bake as above.
- If baking fully in machine, let it complete the cycle.
📜 History
Amish White Bread comes from simple farm kitchens where ingredients were basic, portions were generous, and bread was baked often. Milk and sugar were used to create a softer, richer loaf compared to rustic European breads. This style became a staple in American homes—especially for sandwiches—because of its pillowy crumb and mild sweetness.
🧬 Formation & Texture
- Milk gives the bread its soft, tender crumb
- Sugar feeds the yeast and adds gentle sweetness
- Butter creates richness and that velvety mouthfeel
- Slow rising ensures a fine, even texture
The result: a loaf that slices cleanly, toasts beautifully, and stays soft for days.
❤️ Lovers of This Bread
This bread is loved by:
- Families who want soft sandwich bread
- Kids (especially for PB&J!)
- Home bakers just starting out
- Anyone who loves cozy, old-fashioned recipes
- Meal preppers (because it freezes so well)
🥰 Methods Loved by Bread Lovers
- Hand-kneaded: for therapy and tradition
- Bread machine: for convenience and consistency
- Freezer method: slice, freeze, toast as needed
- Sweet twist: add honey instead of sugar
- Dinner rolls: shape into rolls instead of loaves
❄️ Storage & Freezing
- Store wrapped at room temperature for 3–4 days
- Freeze whole or sliced for up to 3 months
- Thaw at room temp or toast straight from frozen
🌟 Conclusion
Easy Amish White Bread is more than a recipe—it’s comfort, nostalgia, and everyday joy baked into a loaf. Soft, slightly sweet, and endlessly versatile, this milk bread deserves a permanent place in your kitchen. Once you make it, store-bought bread just won’t compare.
So go ahead…
Say “Yum” 😋 and start baking!