Amish White Bread... Great Dough for Sauteed Chicken in a Loaf

As I said in yesterday's post, I am going to share the recipe I used for the bread dough of the sauteed chicken in a loaf.  This is a simple, sweet white bread recipe (found on allrecipes.com) that can be used for sandwiches, stuffed loaves, and much more; I know I will be making this recipe again, but this time just for a nice freshly baked loaf of bread.  Give it a try, making bread is easier then you think some times.

Ingredients

- 2 cups of warm water, 110 degrees Fahrenheit 

- 2/3 cup of sugar

- 1 1/2 tbsp of active dry yeast (that is 1 tbsp and 1 1/2 tsp)

- 1 1/2 tsp of salt

- 1/4 cup of vegetable oil

- 6 cups of flour (I used all-purpose this time, but bread flour always makes for better bread)

1) Place your warm water and vegetable oil in the bottom of the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook.  Layer on top of that the flour (5 cups and save the last cup to add during mixing), salt, and sugar; then make a small well and add the yeast.  Mix on low to med speed for about 8 minutes to let the ingredients mix and the dough to knead. Slowly add the rest of the flour until you have a firm dough ball that is not sticky. (If it is to sticky add tbsp of flour at a time or to dry add a tbsp of warm water at a time.)

2) Remove dough from stand mixer bowl and place in a large greased bowl, making sure you flip it so both sides are greased.  Cover with a clean damp cloth for 1 hr or until the dough doubles in size.

3) After the dough has sat for about 1 hour preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Punch the dough down and knead for a few minutes; then, split the dough into 2 separate portions and place in greased loaf pans.  Allow the dough to rise for another 30 minutes or until the dough rises above the rim of the pan. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

I don't have a picture of a finished loaf because I used this dough to make my sauteed chicken in a loaf.  This bread is simple and delicious, with a slight sweetness to it. The website that I got the recipe from suggested prepping the dough in a different order then I did, so I will supply you with those directions as well.  I make my bread the way I described above because I am accustom to using a bread machine half the time and that is the order that you place the ingredients in the bowl and it has always turned out well for me.

In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam. Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!!