I made white bread with my breadmaker yesterday. 85c a 2# loaf not including the price of running the breadmaker! Yeast was the most expensive cost with 33c/packet, 3c flour=27c & about 25c I figured for 2tbsp oil, salt, 1tbsp br sugar. So, tasty, delish bread for 85c compared to ? I don't buy white bread in the stores..but it's gotta be cheaper & tastier! Usually, I do half wheat & half white flour, but, thought I would do all white for a change.
HM White Bread Calculation
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WOW, that's a wonderful price for flour! What brand do you use? The least expensive unbleached Bread Flour (milled at a local mill) is $2.97/5-pounds, or .44+ cents for 3 c. flour (5# flour = approx. 20 cups flour).
Other ways to bring the price down are to use a sourdough starter (which is made from flour/water) for naturally-leavened bread, or (as you already know) to purchase your yeast in bulk.
My #1 low-cost ingredient is to use freshly-milled flour, plus it's the only way to get all the 25 vitamins, minerals and proteins, as well as the benefit of the fiber from flour. Wheat is generally a fraction of the price of commercial bleached/unbleached flour and MUCH cheaper than commercial whole wheat.
Slight correction: 3 c. of flour doesn't usually equal a 2-pound loaf of bread - that's the amount normally used for 1.5# loaf of bread. Four cups will yield 2-pounds of dough. Scaling the dough will tell you the true amount. I teach bread classes and flour volume and dough weight is one of the things I always teach, as well as the proper pan size for dough amounts.
Even with the odd-ball ingredients I use, I make a recipe of multi-grain bread using 4-3/4 to 5 c. freshly milled wheat flour, 1/2 c. freshly-milled multi-grain cereal (coarsely chopped grain), kefir, chia gel, flaxmeal, coconut oil, agave nectar, 1 egg (or powdered whole egg), 2 t. SAF-Instant Yeast, 1/4 t. ascorbic acid, for around 50-cents for the recipe and it makes 2 regular loaves or 3 small loaves.
But anyway you add it up, we're both beating the prices at the store.
Other ways to bring the price down are to use a sourdough starter (which is made from flour/water) for naturally-leavened bread, or (as you already know) to purchase your yeast in bulk.
My #1 low-cost ingredient is to use freshly-milled flour, plus it's the only way to get all the 25 vitamins, minerals and proteins, as well as the benefit of the fiber from flour. Wheat is generally a fraction of the price of commercial bleached/unbleached flour and MUCH cheaper than commercial whole wheat.
Slight correction: 3 c. of flour doesn't usually equal a 2-pound loaf of bread - that's the amount normally used for 1.5# loaf of bread. Four cups will yield 2-pounds of dough. Scaling the dough will tell you the true amount. I teach bread classes and flour volume and dough weight is one of the things I always teach, as well as the proper pan size for dough amounts.
Even with the odd-ball ingredients I use, I make a recipe of multi-grain bread using 4-3/4 to 5 c. freshly milled wheat flour, 1/2 c. freshly-milled multi-grain cereal (coarsely chopped grain), kefir, chia gel, flaxmeal, coconut oil, agave nectar, 1 egg (or powdered whole egg), 2 t. SAF-Instant Yeast, 1/4 t. ascorbic acid, for around 50-cents for the recipe and it makes 2 regular loaves or 3 small loaves.
But anyway you add it up, we're both beating the prices at the store.
I plan to buy bulk yeast. Just haven't got there yet. I have a 2# breadmaker. Since the bread rose to the top-I thought it was a 2#loaf. Sure wish I lived beside you, GrainLady, I would take your classes. I bought, @ Xmas, home store flour, 1.69 for 5# and the bag said 18cups. I bought 4 bags and they're in the freezer. Ya know-stocking up! Thanks GrainLady & Grace! 
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I just bought 20lbs of unbleached flour for $7.99. I watch for sales and get a few. Or when I have plenty of superbucks and get it for free. I go through lots of flour, it has really shrunk my grocery budget.
Here is what the costs were the last time I calculated2007)
I went and made bread today. The house smells AWESOME! The recipe makes 10 loaves, but I only have 6 pans..lol. SO, I have 6 loaves of bread, 2.5 dozen buns and 2.5 dozen cinnamon rolls. Store bought bread: 11.34 cinnamon buns: 14.98 buns $5.73 Total: 32.05 Estimated cost to make: eggs: .66 milk: .13 yeast: .05 oil: .24 sugar: .013 Brown sugar $1.00 flour: $1.25(high estimate based on weight and price paid) Cost: 3.46 Savings: 28.59.
I didn't include the cost of the margarine, brownsugar or cinnamon. The maragrine was free. and cinnamon was given by mom who thought she was getting a deal and bought too much..lol, but for the TBSp at the price she paid would be approx. .02
Value, based on 1/2 hour on hands work: 59.18/hour tax free I think that is well worth the effort, not to mention the nutrional value far higher. Plus my 3 yo was in seventh heaven baking with mommy, making it a longer task, on my own, hands on would have been under 15.
Here is what the costs were the last time I calculated
2007)I went and made bread today. The house smells AWESOME! The recipe makes 10 loaves, but I only have 6 pans..lol. SO, I have 6 loaves of bread, 2.5 dozen buns and 2.5 dozen cinnamon rolls. Store bought bread: 11.34 cinnamon buns: 14.98 buns $5.73 Total: 32.05 Estimated cost to make: eggs: .66 milk: .13 yeast: .05 oil: .24 sugar: .013 Brown sugar $1.00 flour: $1.25(high estimate based on weight and price paid) Cost: 3.46 Savings: 28.59.
I didn't include the cost of the margarine, brownsugar or cinnamon. The maragrine was free. and cinnamon was given by mom who thought she was getting a deal and bought too much..lol, but for the TBSp at the price she paid would be approx. .02
Value, based on 1/2 hour on hands work: 59.18/hour tax free I think that is well worth the effort, not to mention the nutrional value far higher. Plus my 3 yo was in seventh heaven baking with mommy, making it a longer task, on my own, hands on would have been under 15.
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I don't know if this would be helpful to anyone but I am a baker and am able to get flour for approx. $.50/lb for King Arthur Special flour. A loaf that uses milk, butter or margarine (obviously margarine is cheaper but my calculations use butter), and honey come to $.71 for a 2 lb loaf. I get the flour at a foodservice purveyor but if you make alot of bread you can probably get a 50 lb bag from a restaurant or foodservice supply place for cheap. And of course you can get yeast by the 1 lb bag for about $7.00...
I was working at a restaurant where we would order flour for people for cheap because the more the restaurant spends at a particular purveyor, the lower their prices. It may be worth checking out!
I was working at a restaurant where we would order flour for people for cheap because the more the restaurant spends at a particular purveyor, the lower their prices. It may be worth checking out!
I used to have to leave the house and go do something in the yard/garden after baking bread to avoid temptation. The worst thing you can do is to cut into it while it's still warm - you'll destroy the crumb. Now I've made so many loaves it's just second nature and I'm not any more tempted by fresh-baked bread than I would be with a loaf from the grocery store. So there may be hope yet.... :chef:
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I was JUST going to post this! I am trying to remember the price of the last Fleischmann's jar I bought - perhaps $1.75 after a coupon? While it still is more expensive than buying yeast wholesale online or through your local Co-op, it's a good alternative...and right now there is a .45 cent coupon for Fleischmann's products - Tripled makes the yeast a good price!
I just posted quite a bit of yeast information in Question & Answer - the thread entitled - Bread dough not rising - post #5.
Bread dough not rising - Frugal Village Forums
Hopefully, my "yeast 101" will be helpful.
Fleischmann's also carries jars of Active Dry Yeast, and Bread Machine Yeast isn't the same, as you'll read.
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I make all my bread and I have for over 20 years. but I make sourdough.It is less expensive and we love the flavor. I do buns as well as loaves.
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