Bread recipes are plentiful in Amish kitchens. Often there are just minor variations and differences between the recipe. I've had puffy loaves of homemade white bread in Amish kitchens and denser blocks of wheat bread. Either way, warm and slathered with butter, I'm not sure I've met a slice of bread I didn't like. SIGH, carbs. So I got this old recipe from an Amish woman in Indiana and it is delicious.
If you like whole wheat bread with a hint of sweet, you'll like this!
The recipes get passed down through the family. They are all handwritten.
🙋 What is Batter Bread?
We've written a lot on Amish365 about how recipes get introduced into the Amish community and then they get passed around and around and around, people tweak them, creative cooks tweak them, and it doesn't take long before a recipe looks very different than its name.
I'm not sure if this recipe meets the typical definition of a "batter bread." According to Bettycrocker.com batter bread is a yeast bread made by mixing (but not kneading) dough. I did end up kneading the dough to this recipe, although maybe I didn't need to (or "knead to"...ha ha).
Even the instructions do say to stir it, but I ended up kneading it...I dunno.
📋 Step-By-Step Whole Wheat Buttermilk Batter Bread
I started by gathering ingredients. This recipe has a blend of white flour and wheat flour. If you wanted to just use all wheat, though, you could (conversely, if you wanted to turn this into an all-white bread, you could just use all white flour).
I let the yeast dissolve in warm (about 110 degrees) water and then added the other ingredients.
You can use shortening like Crisco (which is what I used), or swap it out with butter, or even lard, the choice of most Amish cooks.
I let the dough rise in a warm spot for about 30 minutes as the instructions advised. A few other suggestions about making this. If you don't have honey, you could use brown sugar in its place, or another sweetener. I actually used pancake syrup and it turned out fine. Add 1 cup of buttermilk to the batter also, it adds a richness and depth to it that is amazing.
Okay, now, after letting the dough rise, if it is a classic batter bread you just stir with a spoon and bake it. You can try that. I didn't. I just kneaded it into a loaf like traditional bread, I just wasn't sure it would stir with a spoon. But if you want batter bread, try stirring it instead of kneading it.
I decided to make two loaves, a little loaf (for me) and a larger loaf to give away. But this recipe easily makes two medium loaves if you decide to divde the dough evenly. Or you can make one mega loaf. I like round loaves of bread. You can just shape the dough with your hands and put onto a cookie sheet instead of trying to force into loaf pans. But you can do that.
This bread was so good. I made some barbecued pork chops for supper and used the bread for a pork chop sandwich.
This bread was delicious sliced and used for a sandwich. I cut a couple of slices and stuffed a seasoned and barbecued pork chop between. So good.
So, would you like to make this buttermilk bread beauty yourself?
🖨️ Full Recipe
Whole Wheat Buttermilk Batter Bread
Ingredients
- 1 1 /4 cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon or cake of dry, active yeast
- 2 cups white flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons soft shortening
Instructions
- Dissolve yeast in water, add honey, half the white flour, salt and shortening.
- Mix well. Blend in remaining flour with spoon. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
- Stir batter down and spread it evenly in a greased loaf pan, 9 X 5 X 3 inches
- Let rise in warm place until batter reaches 1 /2 in from the top of pan.
- About 40 minutes. Bake at 375 for 40 - 40 minutes. Brush top with shortening. Makes 1 loaf.
CINDY S MONNIER
I am presuming a packet of yeast??
Randy Shidal
when do you add the buttermilk?. I added it before the 30 min rest. It was very watery
I dont bake bread but this sounded pretty good. I hope I did not ruin it.
Kevin Williams
Yes, you added it at the right spot, Randy, let me know how it turns out!
Randy Shidal
It was too wet, so I added another cup of flour. I really thought that it would taste terrible, but my wife and I were very surprised how good it was. It was probably too dense for most people. I am going to try the tomato bread next. I am not a baker or a cook, however, I have always enjoyed Amish products.
Kevin Williams
Good luck Randy, the tomato bread is really good....I'm fine with a dense bread, basically any bread - as long as I can spread butter on it - I am fine!
Rose
When are you supposed to add the buttermilk please?
Kevin Williams
Add it in right after the flour