Amish White Bread

This is a readily available recipe, but since its my blog and I am using it for archival purposes I am posting it here for future reference. It deserves the hype. I have a loaf rising as I type and looking forward to eating that soft deliciousness. If you’ve never made homemade bread you really should give it a try. It’s not as hard as some make it out to be and once you get the hang of it, you have a wonderful life skill that will be a blessing to yourself and others.

2 cups warm water (about 110 degrees- warm to the touch but not burning hot)

2/3 cup sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast or 2 packages

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup canola oil

6 cups bread flour (I replace 2 cups of the white for 2 cups of whole wheat)

Take out a large bowl and add your warm water. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve it a bit and then stir in the yeast. Let sit a few minutes and check it. It should be foamy. If not, your yeast is dead and you need to get some fresh.

Add salt and oil to the yeast. Mix in one cup of the flour at a time until you think you’ve got a good dough. You may need less or more depending on where you live and the particular conditions where you live.

Knead on a floured counter-top until you have a smooth dough. Should take around 6-8 minutes. It’s good exercise. Take a bowl (I usually use the dirty one I’ve just used- its not going to hurt it) and pour a little oil into the bottom. Plop your dough in and toss around to coat. Cover in plastic and put it somewhere warm to rise. I put mine in the oven with the light on. This works both ways as well. If you need a little more time stick it in the fridge and let it rise over a few hours. Whatever method you choose it needs to double in bulk.

Punch the dough down and knead another minute. Cut it in half and shape into loaves. Place in well greased loaf pans and let rise 25 minutes or until your dough is 1 inch above the rim of the pan. If you want taller loaves, just know that a smaller loaf pan will help you in that regard. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until it sounds hollow when you rap it with your knuckles. Best if you leave it to cool before cutting, but either way enjoy the fruits of your labor!