Easy Amish Homemade Bread
The aroma of Amish honey wheat bread baking in the oven is enough to make anyone hungry. And it's so delightful to the taste buds when you get to enjoy that fresh, warm piece of homemade bread, slathered with butter and honey!
There are six of us in our home, and the first loaf is usually gone within the first half-hour out of the oven because no one can stop with only one piece.
Amish Wheat Bread
Among the many traditions of the Amish, a big one is to cook and bake their food from scratch. And also to grow as much of your own food as possible. The women spend a lot of time in the garden and the kitchen preparing food for their families.
Bread is a staple in many Amish homes. I guess because it's a good filler for a hard-working family, and it tends to keep you full longer than some foods.
We didn't usually eat snacks between meals, so we wanted to fill up at mealtime. And when you're out working on the farm, you need the energy to keep yourself going.
Growing up, my mom would bake several loaves of homemade bread every Friday. And it was served for almost every meal, along with butter and homemade jam.
And although you'll often find white bread on the table in Amish homes, some of them will also opt for a healthier version and make wheat bread instead.
You can, however, also use this recipe to make white bread. Just replace the wheat flour with white bread flour.
And this is not a recipe for 100% wheat bread since we use some white instead of all wheat. Homemade bread with freshly ground 100% wheat is the best for you, but it's also a bit tricky to conquer.
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How to Make Amish Bread
Add yeast to the warm water in your mixing bowl. I use my kitchen aid mixer. But if you don't have a big stand mixer with a dough hook, you can make this by hand.
The Amish always make homemade bread by hand (here are some tips on how to knead), and I also made it by hand for years until I finally got a Kitchen Aid. A mixer just makes it easier.
Let your yeast mixture rest for about 5 min. until it's looking nice and bubbly.
Melt the butter and add the milk and honey. Bring it to a lukewarm temperature. (You just want this lukewarm. If it's too hot it can kill your yeast.) Pour it into the yeast mixture and add the salt. Now you're ready to start adding the flour.
Kneading Homemade Bread with Mixer
Start by adding about 3 cups of wheat flour. Mix for about a minute.
Continue adding bread flour only 1/2 cup at a time and knead/mix until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Then knead on speed 2 for about 2 minutes. If it's still sticking to the edge, then it needs more flour.
Once it's no longer sticking to the sides, pour a tiny bit of oil into the side of the bowl, as it's stirring to grease your bowl.
Cover the bowl with a dish towel, and let it rest for about an hour.
After it's risen, you're ready to shape it into 2 loaves. Place into greased loaf pans, and let it rise again.
Bake at 350 for 30 - 35 minutes. (Heavier pans require longer baking time.) Remove it from the oven and spread butter over the top of the crust.
Let it rest in the pans for a few minutes then transfer it to a wire rack to cool.
But make sure to enjoy a piece of this Amish Honey Wheat Bread while it is still nice and hot. Because it will never taste any better than straight out of the oven, slathered with butter and honey.
Slice it carefully with a sharp bread knife in a sawing motion.
More Amish Bread Recipes...
Amish Zucchini Bread Recipe with Pineapple
Amish Bread Recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups warm water about 110°
- 2 packages active dry yeast equal to a scant 2 TBS
- 3 Tablespoons butter or oil
- 1/2 cup milk
- 4 Tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3 cups wheat flour
- 1 3/4 - 2 1/4 cups white bread flour
- Optional: 1/2 cup flax seed meal for nutritional value
Instructions
- Pour the warm water into your mixing bowl (I use my kitchen-aid mixer with the dough hook), and add the yeast. Stir it and leave it sit for about 5 minutes, or until it’s bubbly.1 1/2 cups warm water, 2 packages active dry yeast
- Meanwhile, melt your butter, add the milk and honey, and bring them to a lukewarm temperature. Add warm milk mixture to the yeast mixture and stir it.1/2 cup milk, 4 Tablespoons honey, 3 Tablespoons butter or oil
- Add 3 cups wheat flour and salt. Mix on low, then increase to speed 2 and mix for about a minute. Add the bread flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Knead for another 2 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic. (If it’s still sticking to the sides, you need more flour.)2 teaspoons salt, 3 cups wheat flour, 1 3/4 - 2 1/4 cups white bread flour, Optional: 1/2 cup flax seed meal
- Place dough in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1/2 to 1 hour.
- Punch dough down and divide it in half. I grease my hands with butter to work the dough and shape each half into a loaf. (Roll each half into about a 9″ oblong shape. Roll the dough tightly. Pinch to seal the seam, then pinch the ends and tuck them under.) Place the dough, seam side down, in greased 9x5″ loaf pans. I like to poke the loaves a few times with a fork, to release any air bubbles.
- Cover and let rise again for 1/2 hour or until it has risen just above the edge of the pan. Preheat oven to 350°. Once the oven is hot, bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until golden.
- Spread butter over top and let it rest for a few minutes. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks. But, of course, this is where you will have to carefully slice a piece or two and enjoy it with some butter and honey. Because it’s always best while warm. Slice it very carefully with a bread knife to keep from smashing your soft bread.
nancy
Used all purpose flour and honey in this recipe. It is raising right now for the first time. But it is looking good
Judy Helser
Two questions, please……
1) what amount of honey to replace sugar?
2) is that 5 – 6 cups of whole wheat flour?
The Amish make wonderful food! Thank you for aharing!!
Anna
I would just use the same amount of honey , or maybe a little more. You can use whatever flour you want. I use about 1/2 white as nc half whole wheat. Bread flour makes it nice too.
josiah
This bread is Soo good
Lacrisha
The recipe calls for 3 Tablespoons sugar…but then it says 1/2. What does this mean? I’d love to try it, but don’t want to mess it up. Thank you.
Anna
I'm sorry. I had this recipe on my blog, then today I was copy and pasting it to make a pin on pinterest. Guess I messed it up. I fixed it now. Sorry! I'm totally new at this stuff, trying to get it figured out. Haha?
Terry&Mildred Watson
The bread sounds so good!!
Anna
It is amazing!