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I Finally Replaced Store Bought Bread and My Grocery Bill Dropped
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items Spending $5 on a loaf of bread that goes stale in two days felt ridiculous, especially when flour costs pocket change. This list is for anyone who wants to bake their own bread at home but has no idea where to start or what tools actually matter. Too...
Sections
4
Flour and Dry Ingredients That Actually Make a Difference
Tools That Stopped Me From Ruining Every Batch
Ingredients for When You Want to Get Fancy
Storage and Slicing So Your Bread Lasts All Week
Flour and Dry Ingredients That Actually Make a Difference
Spent my first month using whatever random flour was cheapest and wondering why my bread tasted like cardboard. Switching to the right basics changed everything overnight.
Grab this as your everyday workhorse flour. Before I switched to a consistent brand, my loaves came out different every single time. If you bake even once a week, the 5 lb bag disappears fast, so stock up while it's cheap.
Gold Medal All Purpose Flour, Baking Flour, 5 lb Bag
Keep this in your fridge door and it lasts for months. I killed my first three batches using old yeast from my pantry. For anyone just starting out, active dry is way more forgiving than instant if you mess up your water temperature.
Red Star Active Dry Yeast, 32 oz Pouch, (Pack of 3)
Sounds boring but skip the salt and your bread tastes like wet paper. A friend made her first loaf without it and literally threw it away. This container will last you through probably 200 loaves, so one purchase and you're set.
Morton Iodized Salt, Table Salt, 26 Oz
Use just a teaspoon to wake up the yeast. My neighbor told me sugar was optional and my dough sat there like a rock for two hours. Perfect for anyone who also bakes other things since you'll burn through it anyway.
Domino Pure Cane Granulated Sugar, 4 lb. Bag
Toss a tablespoon into your flour mix for softer, richer bread. Figured this out after wondering why bakery bread had that slight sweetness mine was missing. Works great if you don't always have fresh milk around.
Great Value Instant Nonfat Dry Milk, 3.2 oz Pouches
Pair this with cheaper flour and suddenly your bread has that perfect chew. Before I found this, my sandwich loaves crumbled apart the second I tried to spread peanut butter. Worth it if you like a sturdy, sliceable loaf.
Bob's Red Mill Wheat Gluten Flour, 623 G
Swap this in for sugar when you want a slightly golden crust with more flavor. Started doing honey oat loaves on Sundays and my kids stopped asking for store bought entirely. Lasts a while since you only need a drizzle per batch.
Great Value Honey, 12 oz Plastic Bear
Tools That Stopped Me From Ruining Every Batch
My first attempts involved a fork, a cookie sheet, and sheer hope. Turns out a few cheap tools are the difference between a doorstop and actual bread.
Use this for proofing your yeast so you can actually see the bubbles forming. I used to guess with a coffee mug and either drowned or starved my yeast every time. Clear glass means no more guessing.
Pyrex -2 Prepware 2 Glass Measuring Cup
Keep one for mixing, one for rising, one for whatever mess you've already made. Before I had a proper set, I was washing the same cereal bowl between every step. For anyone who hates doing dishes mid-recipe, this saves your sanity.
Kitchenaid Universal Set of 3 Plastic Mixing Bowls in Red
Ditch the measuring cups for flour and weigh it instead. My bread went from inconsistent to reliable the week I started using a scale. If you've ever wondered why your dough is too sticky or too dry, this is probably your fix.
Taylor Waterproof Digital Kitchen Scale
Grab two of these because once you start baking you'll want to double your batches. My first loaves on a flat sheet spread out like pancakes. This gives you that tall, sandwich-ready shape without any effort.
Wilton Premium Non-Stick Baking Bread Loaf Pan 9x5
Try scraping sticky dough off your counter without one of these. I dare you. Spent months peeling dough off my hands and the countertop before someone told me this existed. Costs almost nothing and you'll use it every single bake.
(2 pack) (2 pack) OXO Multi-Purpose Stainless Steel Bench
Stick this into your loaf and pull it at 190 degrees. No more cutting into bread that looks done but is raw dough in the middle. Learned that lesson the hard way when I served gummy bread to my in-laws.
Beautiful, Digital Instant-Read Meat Thermometer
Toss a sheet on your pan and nothing sticks. I ruined two loaf pans trying to pry bread out before I wised up. For anyone who refuses to spend ten minutes scrubbing baked-on crust, this is non-negotiable.
Reynolds Kitchens Stay Flat Parchment Paper Roll
Ingredients for When You Want to Get Fancy
Plain white bread got boring after week three. These are what turned my basic loaves into the kind of bread people actually ask about at dinner.
Swirl this into your dough with some sugar and suddenly you've got cinnamon bread that smells like a bakery. My coworker asked where I bought it and refused to believe I made it at 6am. Perfect for weekend baking when you want something special.
McCormick Kosher Ground Cinnamon, 2.37 oz Bottle
Throw a handful on top of your loaf before baking for that artisan look. Also mix them into the dough for heartier texture. Went from boring white bread to something that actually looks like I know what I'm doing.
Great Value 100% Whole Grain Old Fashioned Oats, 42 oz
Chop these rough and fold them into your dough for a nutty, crunchy loaf. Started adding walnuts after getting bored of plain bread and now it's my most requested recipe. Stock up because they go fast once you start snacking while you bake.
Fisher Walnut Halves & Pieces, 16 oz Bag
Pair these with cinnamon for a raisin bread that beats anything in the grocery aisle. My daughter used to only eat one specific store brand. She switched to mine after the first slice and hasn't looked back.
Sun-Maid California Sun-Dried Raisins 12oz Bag in a Box
Sprinkle this on a focaccia with olive oil and coarse salt. Took my bread from “nice hobby” to “wait, you made this?” territory. Works for anyone who wants to impress dinner guests without actually trying that hard.
Great Value Organic Rosemary Leaves, 0.85 oz
Fold shredded cheddar into your dough right before the last rise. The cheese melts into pockets and the crust gets these crispy golden bits. Warning: you will eat half the loaf before it even cools down.
Kraft Natural Sharp Cheddar Shredded Cheese, 8 oz Bag
Brush this on a warm loaf straight out of the oven. Regular butter works fine but this stuff has a richness that makes your bread taste expensive. Treat yourself after you've put in the work of actually baking it.
Kerrygold Grass-Fed Pure Irish Unsalted Butter, 8 Oz
Storage and Slicing So Your Bread Lasts All Week
Baked a perfect loaf once and watched it go stale by Tuesday because I left it on the counter in a plastic bag. These fixed that problem completely.
Keep your loaf in here and it stays fresh for days instead of going rock hard overnight. Before this, I was wrapping bread in foil like some kind of sandwich burrito. For anyone baking once a week, this is how you make it last until Friday.
Progressive Prep Works Bread Pro Keeper Expandable 12
Get a real bread knife and stop crushing your loaves with a steak knife. My slices used to look like they survived an earthquake. This one glides through the crust without smashing the soft inside.
Mercer Culinary, Bread Knife, 10" Wavy Edge, Commercial
Wrap your cooled loaf tight in foil before freezing and it tastes almost fresh when you thaw it. Figured this out after throwing away three frozen loaves that tasted like freezer burn. Buy the wider roll so you can actually wrap a full loaf.
REYNOLDS WRAP, Aluminum Foil, Heavy Duty
Slide your foil-wrapped loaf into one of these for double protection in the freezer. Overkill? Maybe. But my bread from three weeks ago tasted like I baked it yesterday. Worth it if you like batch baking on Sundays.
Great Value Freezer Guard Double Zipper Gallon
Slice your bread over this and the crumbs fall into the tray instead of all over your counter. Spent months sweeping bread crumbs off my kitchen floor before finding this. Your future self will thank you.
Bambusi, Bamboo Cutting Board Set, Juice Groove
Clip your bread bag shut properly instead of doing that weird twist and tuck thing. Sounds small but it actually keeps air out way better. For anyone who's found a stale half-loaf on the counter at 7am, you know the pain.
OXO Good Grips Collection Bag Clip, 3 Piece Cinch Set
Bring day-old bread back to life in about 90 seconds. Even slightly stale homemade bread toasts up better than fresh store bought, and that's not an exaggeration. Grabbed this specifically for my bread habit and use it every single morning now.
Hamilton Beach 2-Slice Toaster Extra-Wide Slots