8 Cost of Bread: Dinner Rolls

I have been teaching bread classes in my neighborhood a couple of times per month for the past little while.

I decided to teach a roll making class today to prepare for Thanksgiving and it was SO much fun!  I really enjoy the hands-on teaching approach.  Each gal brings their mixer, spatula, rolling pin and baking pans to the class. I provide the ingredients in a "kit" which helps the class run smoothly. At the end of the class, the students take their rolls home and bake them.

Because I provide the kits, all I ask in return is a donation to cover the cost of ingredients.  Previously, I posted the cost analysis for making Homemade Bread (grinding own wheat) and Homemade Bread (using storebought wheat).  I thought it would be interesting to see how much my Dinner Roll recipe ingredients would cost.  I know that 36 rolls at Costco are around $4 and Lion House is selling their rolls for $5 per dozen. 

Feather Wheat Rolls

Are you ready?

Drumroll.....

For 2 dozen, homemade, light, buttery dinner rolls...

$1.12!

Yep, one dollar and twelve cents.

Now, I bought everything in bulk and went to Sam's Club.  Yes, this includes butter and eggs, which I thought would increase the price.  Yes, this included tax.

What it did NOT include was the energy of the oven, the time to make the rolls, the extra butter, plastic wrap and parchment paper.

Do you have 90 minutes to spare? (there are 60 min. roll recipes out there, but they usually have more yeast)

Do you have $1. 12?

Wanna have HOT, delicious, buttery rolls for Thanksgiving? 

Then jump on over to the Dinner Roll recipe and give it a try!

4 Cost of Homemade Bread: Part 2

Last week, I taught a bread making class to a large group of moms and their kids. It was so much fun!

All the moms had to do was bring in their mixer, loaf pans, and kids.

Even some boys came, which was a bonus!


I decided to purchase all the ingredients and make 'kits' for my Half and Half Honey Wheat Bread recipe. Here is the cost run-down for 12 kits:

Canola Oil, 48 oz., $2.99, used 2/3
Vital Wheat Gluten, 27 oz, $4.99, used 11 oz.
Honey, 6 lbs, $10.97, used 3 pounds
Prairie Gold White Wheat Flour, 5 pound bag, $3.74, used 2 1/2 bags (The best white wheat flour around!)
All Purpose Flour, 25 pound bag, $6.99, used 12 1/2 pounds
Active Dry Yeast, 2 pounds, $3.89, used 1 pound



Water, N/A
Salt, N/A

Each kit made (3) 8x4 loaves or (2) 9x5 loaves
Each kit, including tax: $2.04
One 9x5 loaf: $1.04
Learning a bread making skill with your child: Priceless

2 Cost of Bread vs. Homemade

Well, I had to sit down and figure it out....how much does a loaf of homemade bread cost? With the prices of wheat, oil, honey and just about everything else, I actually sat down and figured it out! With my limited math skills, I found a worksheet on the University of Washington's extension service site and got to work.


There are only seven ingredients in my whole wheat bread: wheat flour, active dry yeast, vital wheat gluten, salt, water, honey and canola oil. I calculated two versions: one, buying store bought wheat flour at Walmart and the second, using flour from grinding my own wheat. I did not calculate the water, energy and time that goes into the bread....hmmmm, what's two hours of my time worth? Well, that's another story!

Drum roll......with store bought flour......55 cents per loaf!
Another drum roll....grind your own......41 cents per loaf!

If you look carefully at the loaves in the store, the ones with ALL natural ingredients (if you can't pronounce it, it isn't natural!) cost well over $3 per loaf!

If I went to the local bakery and purchased 3 loaves of their honey wheat bread each week, I would spend $486 for the year!

If I bake my own bread, once a week, 3 loaves at a time, I will save $419.58 per year!

So, take a chance, learn a new skill, make your family happy, and save some money!