This Amish bread is my go-to recipe whenever I'm craving homemade bread. It has the perfect crusty exterior with a light fluffy interior. Served with a light layer of butter, I'm sure you'll love this Amish friendship bread as much as I do!
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My Take On Amish Friendship Bread
Bread is one of those recipes that teaches us to slow down and enjoy the baking process. It's truly a work of art and heart. This Amish friendship bread is the epitome of slowing down to make a delicious treat you can share with everyone.
This recipe makes two loaves, so I always like to share the love by sending one to my neighbor or a close friend. Of course, I keep the other one for me and my family since it's so good!
We love eating this homemade bread with broccoli cheese soup or this Amish country casserole for a cozy dinner.
Why This Recipe Works
Easy to customize. It's super easy to make this Amish friendship bread to your flavor preferences. Feeling sweet? Add some chocolate chips or cinnamon sugar. Feeling spice? Add some chopped jalapeno peppers and cheddar cheese. Anything goes!
The texture. This friendship bread has the perfect light and airy texture with a slightly crisp crust for a combination that's just perfect.
Everyone always loves it. This delicious bread is an easy crowd-pleaser. I love bringing a loaf or two to parties and gatherings. There's something so special about sharing a loaf of bread made from scratch, and it makes for a restaurant-esque appetizer for any meal.
Ingredients
This Amish friendship bread recipe surprisingly has super simple ingredients. You might even have everything you need in your pantry right now!
Check out what you need:
- 5 ½ cups bread flour
- 1 cup milk, warm
- 1 cup water, warm
- 2 tbsps. sugar
- 2 tbsps. active dry yeast
- 2 tsp. salt
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tbsps. butter
How To Make Amish Friendship Bread
1. Make Amish friendship bread starter. In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, add the milk, and then stir in the yeast. Set aside for 5-10 minutes or until the yeast mixture gets very foamy.
2. Make the dough. Pour the foamy yeast and vegetable oil into the large bowl of a stand mixer. With the mixer running slowly with the hook attachment, add the flour and salt, one cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the bowl. Then, knead with a mixer for about 5 minutes.
3. Let the dough rise. Coat a mixing bowl in oil and place the bread dough in it. Brush a light layer of oil on the top of the dough and then cover the bowl with a damp cloth. Allow the friendship bread dough to rise for about 1 hour or until it has doubled in size. The time will depend on the temperature of your kitchen.
4. Shape the dough. Punch the dough down and knead it with your hands for 2 minutes. Divide the dough in half. Roll the dough into a rectangle and press it with your fingers. Tightly roll the dough into a loaf shape and pinch the ends to seal the seams.
5. Let the dough rise again. Transfer the two dough logs to greased loaf pans. Let the dough rise again for 30-40 minutes. When it's almost done rising, preheat the oven to 350°F.
6. Bake the bread. Bake the bread for 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Let the bread cool for 5 minutes in the loaf pan, and then remove the bread from the pans and brush with melted butter.
7. Serve. Serve Amish friendship bread with your favorite spread like pesto, butter, or cream cheese. You can also use it to make a sandwich.
My Pro Tips To Make The Best Recipe
- Make sure to use warm water and milk to dissolve the yeast. I like to leave the water and milk at room temperature for about thirty minutes before starting the recipe.
- Be patient and let the dough rise for the required amount of time.
- For the first dough rise, make sure to use a lightly damp cloth but not one that is too wet, or it will drip on the bread.
- Generously grease your loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray or brush with oil so the bread doesn't stick.
How I Recommend Storing Amish Friendship Bread
Room temperature: Wrap the leftover loaf in plastic wrap and keep it at room temperature for up to 2 days.
In the freezer: Wrap the Amish friendship bread in wax paper and place it in a freezer-safe container. It will stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheating: To thaw the frozen loaf, transfer it to the fridge or warm it in the microwave in 10-second increments, flipping between each. To warm the loaf, place it in the oven at 350°F for 10 minutes or pop a few slices in the toaster oven.
FAQs About This Amish Friendship Bread Recipe
Is Amish friendship bread the same as sourdough?
No. Amish friendship bread is a little different from sourdough bread. It's made with sugar, so it has a sweeter flavor. As far as the friendship bread starter, it's a type of sourdough starter, but it's not as tangy and is used to make classic white bread and other various baked goods.
Why is my Amish bread so dense?
If your bread is dense, there may be a few reasons for this. First, the yeast hasn't proofed fully. Make sure when proofing the yeast that it's in a warm, but not too hot, area in your kitchen, and that it's extra bubbly when you use it. Another reason could be that the bread dough wasn't kneaded long enough. It's important to knead the dough for the directed time, no more, no less.
Why is my Amish friendship bread starter not bubbling?
The area you're proofing the starter could be too cold, or the yeast mixture might not be fresh enough.
What can I serve with Amish friendship bread?
It's delicious with other Amish recipes like this Amish potato salad, Amish chicken casserole, Amish hamburger casserole, and shipwreck casserole.
More Delicious Bread Recipes To Try
- Amish cinnamon bread
- Pumpkin cream cheese bread
- Cream cheese banana bread
- Jiffy jalapeno cornbread
- Turkish bread
- Cheesecake Factory brown bread
Amish Friendship Bread
This Amish bread is my go-to recipe whenever I'm craving homemade bread. It has the perfect crusty exterior with a light fluffy interior. Served with a light layer of butter, I'm sure you'll love this Amish friendship bread as much as I do!
Ingredients
- 5 ½ cups bread flour
- 1 cup milk, warm
- 1 cup water, warm
- 2 tbsps. sugar
- 2 tbsps. active dry yeast
- 2 tsp. salt
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tbsps. butter
Instructions
- In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water and milk, and then stir in yeast. Set aside for 5-10 minutes, or until the yeast mixture gets foamy.
- Place the foamy yeast and vegetable oil into the bowl of a stand mixer, using the hook attachment.
- With the mixer running slowly add the flour and salt, one cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the bowl. Knead with a mixer for about 5 minutes.
- Oil the large bowl and place the dough in it. Lightly oil the top of the dough and then cover with a damp cloth.
- Allow the dough to rise for 1 hour until it has doubles in size.
- Punch the dough down and knead for 2 minutes, and divide in half.
- Roll the dough into a rectangle and press with your fingers.
- Tightly roll up each dough into a loaf shape and pinch the ends to seal seams. Transfer two doughs to greased loaf pans.
- Let the dough rise for 30-40 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for for 30 minutes until golden on top.
- Let the bread cool for 5 minutes in the loaf pan, and then remove the bread from the pans and brush with melted butter.
- Serve bread with your favorite spread, pesto, or in a sandwich.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
¼ loafAmount Per Serving: Calories: 424Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 73gFiber: 2gSugar: 0gProtein: 12g
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