Is homemade bread REALLY cheaper?

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver

I like to use Doves Organic White and Wholemeal Flours. I have discovered that it is actually cheaper to buy from Doves direct so that is precisely what I am going to do!! They sell in 5 bag lots at a reasonable price and flours range is very good. (that does not rule gourmet experimentation with other flours like Golspie in Sutherland Scotland, Bachedlre, but as a rule). I like to use a tsp of sea salt, packet of yeast, i tsp of raw cane sugar, to 500g of flour with 300ml water ( I will use potato waters as advised on theirs forums an excellent idea)l I like to throw in some butter for taste and once dough is made throw it into a nice heavily buttered tin (which makes it slide out like a babys bottom).
the bread tastes delish.
My breadmaking skills probably could be honed greatly if this thread is anything to go by.
Best wishes to all.

kinkyjinks

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver wrote: »

I will use potato waters as advised on theirs forums an excellent idea

I'm interested to know what difference this makes to your bread. I'm assuming you use the water used to boil your potatoes in so do you use less salt when you add potato water?

squeaky

The water from potatoes, rice or pasta contains starch and so helps make a nicer bread. I use the same amount of salt as indicated by the recipe.

kcee84

Hello im a newbie to the forum so im sure what im about to say has been said before but i am loving baking irish soda bread with buttermillk.
I used to make bread about three years ago but then have had two babys quite quickly and the thought of kneading, letting bread rise etc has been too much for me.Then i remembered eating soda bread in ireland and thought i would give it a go. I use 170g sr wholemeal and 170g plain flour then 300ml buttermilk and a pinch of salt you literally mix it like a scone mix put in oven and in 30 mins its done. I know its not as light as other bread but for cheap bread in a hurry its fab! Hubby wont let me buy any now. I was getting fed up of buying cheap rubbish bread and then letting it go off because we didnt like it!! This probably isnt the best for sandwiches but great with soups.
Also the other day i had run out of buttermilk so just used juice of half a lemon to 300ml milk and it made buttermilk now even cheaper!!

hulahoop09

Hiya

I was considering buying a secondhand breadmaker but was wondering is it really cheaper than buying bread (inc electric use etc) or is it cheaper to buy offers on bread and freeze it?

Thanks!

mmmsnow

I worked out that it costs me 60p for a white loaf (800g loaf). I use @sda's own bread flour, their olive spread, salt, sugar and Doves yeast.

pinkladyvenus

I have a bread maker and would not go back to shop bought bread. Home made bread is so much nicer. I have never worked out how much it cost per loaf but this is roughly what I pay for my ingredients. I pay about 65p for a bag of white bread flour from Lidli, from which I make 3 loaves. The yeast is approx 85p for 8 sachets from which I roughly get 3 loaves per sachet. Salt and sugar and marg or butter you tend to have in any way. The other thing is dried milk powder which you only use one and a half teaspoons per loaf so a tub of that last for ages. I am on a key meter and have not noticed any impact on the amount of electric we use. The bread maker can also be used for making dough useful for pizza bases, Chelsea buns, and tea cakes.

hulahoop09

Fab thank you! I didnt know bread had milk in, my 7 month old is dairy and egg intolerant so we cant use so many things!!!

pinkladyvenus

You can get loads of recipes for bread machines some of which have a dairy free recipe section in I use "the complete bread machine cook book"

lizzyb1812

Hi

You don't need to put the milk powder in at all. And I once worked out that the electricity my Panasonic uses to make a basic loaf comes to about 2p. Using pink lady venus's list of ingredients the cost including electricty comes to about 30p per loaf plus sugar/salt/butter - so say about 35p.