Description
This Homemade Amish Sweet Bread is a soft, slightly sweet loaf with a tender crumb and golden crust. Perfect for breakfast or as a snack, this bread combines warm milk, yeast, butter, and sugar to create a delightful homemade treat that’s easy to prepare and bake from scratch.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup warm milk
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
Dry Ingredients
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Activate Yeast: In a large bowl, mix warm milk with granulated sugar. Sprinkle the active dry yeast on top and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes until it becomes foamy, indicating the yeast is active.
- Combine Ingredients: Add softened butter, egg, and salt to the foamy yeast mixture. Stir in the flour one cup at a time until a soft dough begins to form.
- Knead Dough: Knead the dough either using a mixer fitted with a dough hook for 5 to 6 minutes or by hand on a floured surface for 8 to 10 minutes, ensuring a smooth and elastic texture.
- First Rise: Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover it, and let it rise in a warm place for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until it has doubled in size.
- Shape Loaf: Punch down the risen dough to release air. Shape it into a loaf and place it in a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- Second Rise: Cover the loaf loosely and let it rise again for 30 to 45 minutes until the dough rises just above the edge of the pan.
- Bake: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the bread for 30 to 35 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
- Cool: Allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Ensure the milk is warm, not hot, to avoid killing the yeast.
- Softened butter should be at room temperature for easy mixing.
- Kneading is crucial to develop gluten, which gives the bread its texture.
- If the crust browns too quickly, tent the bread with foil during baking.
- Store leftover bread in an airtight container to keep it fresh.
