Bulk buying bread flour?

OsricForager

ClaireLR wrote: »

Only problem with that website is it's £5.95 delivery for a 10kg sack

It's still cheaper than the supermarkets for wholemeal. If you buy 2x10kg sacks of wholemeal flour that works out at £17.55 in total, which is about 87p per kg.

If you are going to do white bread, then ASDA is probably going to be your cheapest bet, as they sell their own brand strong white flour at about 48p for 1.5kg. You're really not going to find bread flour any cheaper than that anywhere. However, the only wholemeal bread flour ASDA seem to sell is the Allinson stuff at £1.45 for 1.5kg. I've used it and it is good quality, but that works out at 92p per kg, so is 5p per kg more than buying 2x10kg bags from freebake (including delivery).

In short; my advice is buy your white flour at ASDA; if you want wholemeal, go to https://www.freebake.co.uk

echelon101

Just a quickie:

At what point does baking bread come out cheaper than buying a basic loaf?

White Basic Loaf - 37p most supermarkets
1kg Flour - 80p

OsricForager

echelon101 wrote: »

Just a quickie:

At what point does baking bread come out cheaper than buying a basic loaf?

White Basic Loaf - 37p most supermarkets
1kg Flour - 80p

You're not comparing like with like. I baked a loaf last night that was on a par with the supermarket's posh loaves at about £1.50 a loaf. If you're happy with cheapo loaves, then stick with it. To me bread isn't just a vehicle for transporting food to your mouth, it is a food in it's own right. Like the Lurpak adverts say, it deserves respect.

Having said that; 1.5kg of white bread flour is 48p in ASDA, and makes 3 large loaves, so is still cheaper than the value bread anyway. An 800g loaf of bread uses about 500g of flour, 7g of yeast, 2 tsp of salt and 20g of lard or butter. I work that out as costing about 30p a loaf for ingredients . My oven uses about 2kw-h so add another 10-12p or so for electricity - make three loaves and freeze two and we'll call it 4p a loaf in electricity. 34p a loaf - and if you do it right it's 10 times better than the value brand. I call that good value.

Where home baking really comes into it's own is in replicating the more expensive bread products like bagels. Bagels use a basic dough recipe but are then poached for 2 minutes in a solution of water and sugar to give them that chewy crust, and are baked quickly at a higher temperature to make them denser than a regular loaf. Aside from that, they use the same ingredients, in the same proportions, as normal bread. A packet of 5 New York Bagels are approximately £1.45, or about 80p for a pack of 5 ASDA's own. I can make 7 or 8 for about 60p.

echelon101

That the most perfect responce I ever had to a forum posts.

I am a bread maker myself, Chollah expert (platted bread with an egg)( it was here I cottoned on to the fact that Allison bread flour didn't make a difference from Co-op's pancake or ASDA white flour but that using honey instead of sugar does), although I haven't considered making my own basic loaves. However considering that the basic supermarket loaf has risen, PUN INTENDED!, from ~19p to 37p, making ones own has crossed my mind.

OsricForager

echelon101 wrote: »

That the most perfect responce I ever had to a forum posts.

I am a bread maker myself, Chollah expert (platted bread with an egg)( it was here I cottoned on to the fact that Allison bread flour didn't make a difference from Co-op's pancake or ASDA white flour but that using honey instead of sugar does), although I haven't considered making my own basic loaves. However considering that the basic supermarket loaf has risen, PUN INTENDED!, from ~19p to 37p, making ones own has crossed my mind.

Even though Canada's grain has a reputation for being some of the best for bread making, Australia actually produces the most grain for export around the world. Australia are in the middle of their worst drought in 100 years and the price of grain doubled about a year ago because of it. Even though the cost of grain probably only accounts for about 15-20% of the cost of a supermarket loaf (the rest being other miscellaneous ingredients, transport, staff pay and profit margin), the supermarkets have decided to capitalise on the situation by nearly doubling the cost of bread.

They are hoping that no one will notice that a two fold increase in the price of grain shouldn't neccessarily mean a two fold increase in the cost of the finished product - particularly now that the price of oil as actually taken a small dip back down again. That kind of dishonesty and naked opportunistic profiteering by the supermarkets is reason enough for me to want to bake my own bread, personally.

Chollah is a tradtional Jewish bread, isn't it? I've never tried it, but it sounds good. I might give it a try some time.

echelon101

Chollah is a tradtional Jewish bread, isn't it? I've never tried it, but it sounds good. I might give it a try some time.

Yes it is I have been making it for about a year for my Jewish society on Friday nights since we can't source it locally.


Basic dough recipe but;

It uses about 600g of flour instead of 500g but that makes two loaves :P, you also use either about 50g of sugar/ 1tbsp honey and one whole egg. As it's a dough you can add anything extra if you want (have done raisins + whiskey + ginger). Also no butter but 2 tsp of sunflower oil, so cheaper. Leave the dough to rise then divide into two then use a three strand plat for, leave the two loaves to "prove" in a plastic bag for 1hr ish, glaze both loaves with one egg + some water, then bake at GM6 for about 40 minutes looks amazing cooked just right.


That recipe has been used by me and works!

Chell

Where is the best place to buy flour at the moment? I know Asda has the cheap white flour but I'd prefer one of the brown types of flour.

I've got into the habit of making bread by using the Hovis cheap bread mix from Asda but now I'd like to start making my own to avoid all the preservatives. I looked in Morrisons today and the flour was extortionate.

Thanks,
Michelle

mambury

Hi, My ASDA does w/meal own label for 68p (or there abouts) per 1.5kg and white own label for 47p per 1.5kg. Have a look on a different shelf as they are not always together. I work in ASDA and they will try to push the branded w/meal as the profit margin is higher so they try to 'hide' their own label!!

I know what you mean about morrisons, I don't bother with their flour now we have an ASDA.

I used to buy from Tesco as they were similar prices to ASDA a few months back, probably gone up now though!!

Mambury

superstottie

Hi - I see that several people mentioned about storing the flour in the freezer - any special instructions for doing this or do I just shove the bag in there? I live about 4 miles from Salkeld Mill so can get bulk flour without paying the delivery and if I can store it longer then I can buy in bigger quantities and therefore save even more. Plus I have a huge freezer which is rarely half full so it would make that run cheaper too if it was fuller!! Win Win WIN!

zubzubuk

Thank you all for the supply links on here.

I am hoping to borrow a breadmaker and would be gratefully for any breadmaking tips.

I have been told that there is a problem with getting a big hole at the bottom and wonder if anyone has a solution for that or if it is always a problem with breadmakers?

Thanks
Z