(When they're not stopping up toilets and playing with peanut butter, the frugal children research the unit cost of wheat berries.)Tammy's Recipes tackles a question that's plagued me for ages: Is it worth the expense to make homemade bread, rather than buying it from the store?
For me, no--not as long as I could buy discounted Pepperidge Farm for 50-cents/loaf.
When I can eat bread again (sob), I look forward to giving Tammy's $1.37 whole wheat recipe a try.
For me, no--not as long as I could buy discounted Pepperidge Farm for 50-cents/loaf.
When I can eat bread again (sob), I look forward to giving Tammy's $1.37 whole wheat recipe a try.
13 comments:
Wow, your diabetic diet must be really restrictive. How many grams of carbs are you allowed each day? Although I am diabetic, I manage to comfortably incorporate some bread each day. I really feel bad that you can't have any at all! Take care.
I do this calculation every few years, Mostly recently, the price of yeast packets is way up -- about 60 cents. If I buy yeast in bulk and use half-white, half-wheat flour, I can bake a loaf for about 60 to 70 cents, if the recipe doesn't include eggs or butter. Oatmeal bread is even less expensive. I compare it to the artisan loaves at Provence or Bread & Co., which are $4.
Thanks, Fluffernutter.
Folks, she's a culinary professional, so if she's making bread for 70-cents/loaf that tastes like artisan loaves, perhaps there's hope for the rest of us!
Anonymous, my diet calls for starches like 1 piece of whole wheat bread with breakfast. However, I'm finding that when I eat ANY processed flour product my sugar stays up.
Instead I am trying to use my starch exchanges for only complex carbs in natural form, like half a baked potato or a cup of beans.
When I am eating foods in their simplest state, my sugar stays within check.
I don't have to like it, though : )
I'd continue to make my own even if it was more expensive. The taste and quality are so much better than grocery store bread. I don't know if mine's quite as good as artisan bread, but people ask all the time where I bought it, so I must be doing something right. =D
For us, it does pay off. Not always by price, which I am not savvy enough to calculate, but by usage!
It's so easy to grab a couple of loaves of commercial bread off the shelves, and eat PB&J every day.
When I'm making it at home, I can't keep upi with demand. We're more judicious about when we eat, and how much we use.
Anna
The bulk yeast certainly is the key--I can't believe how cheap it is, and in the freezer it lasts forever. Also, I've found it has better texture and stays fresh longer with canola oil instead of butter anyway. I had not thought about the relative price of oatmeal vs. white or whole wheat flour though. Something to experiment with this weekend (especially as I just used the last of the whole wheat flour!)
I love your sense of humor Meredith, i.e. the photo caption!
To me, it's not always about what is cheapest...I'm not so sure I'm saving money when I bake my own bread - but I bake it b/c I enjoy baking bread, it tastes MUCH, MUCH better (especially fresh out of the oven, warm and with butter) - and it's more healthy (depending on course what type I make).
I'd have a very hard time giving up bread - but I know you need to do it for a very good reason.
As Tammy alluded to, more than the cost, my issue is the preservatives & such that are in storebought breads. Though since my parents buy wheat in bulk & grind wheat for me as I need it, my bread only costs about 80 cents a loaf. Additionally I have a bread machine so it's easy to make my own.
I make my own too at about 80 cents per loaf. I buy my wheatberries in bulk so the price is great. It's wonderful and I can even cut thinner slices for my smaller children so there is no waste.
oh i envy your bargains! i either buy the good stuff at grocery outlet (whole grain, no corn syrup, etc) for $1.79 per loaf or i make it myself.
Wow, thanks for the link! :)
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