After doing some planning, I came up with about 50 cents a loaf if I make it myself. That price includes all ingredients, as well as electricity for baking if I make four loaves at a time. So my adventure in weekly baking began.
The first two loaves turned out like little bricks. The yeast I had on hand was old. So, determined to make bread that day, I rode my bike to town for yeast. This is where I discover how far away The Village Food Pride really is, an hour round trip, unlike the car which takes about five minutes. And I also discover that Village Food Pride only carries small, expensive packets of yeast. There was no way I was going to ride all that way, totally out of shape without buying what I went for in the first place, so my first two successful loaves of bread actually cost about $1.50 each. Oh well. It tasted wonderful, and I felt very proud of making it all the way on my bike without keeling over.
Eventually, I found yeast in a larger jar, which cut the price back to about 40 cents a loaf. I was full of pride at all the money I was saving, figuring I saved about $50 dollars a year. That was before my husband and father got a taste of homemade bread. Now we are going through about six loaves a week! Savings are down the toilet and I guess at least we are breaking even. I am hoping that once the novelty of fresh bread wears off, they will be back to two or three loaves a week.
Last night I experimented with a new recipe. The loaves turned out soft and fragrant. Two loaves came out of the oven, but only one was left when I went to bed. So, baking bread has been a huge hit at our house, even if our budget hasn't felt the effects yet.
