As I opened up a pantry door yesterday, I realized I was opening the last 1-pound bag of yeast I had bought before the pandemic years. It sunk in just how much bread I bake. In 2020, as the news was ramping up about issues in China, I panic-bought a lot of yeast on a prepper run to the restaurant supply store on the mainland. Which, wasn’t a a bad thing. Within weeks you couldn’t find yeast anywhere to buy. But I had it hidden away, and I got to work (for the record, I did share yeast with others, just quietly).
In theory, a one-pound bag should contain 44 Tablespoons, or 132 teaspoons, of yeast, so on average, I use 2 teaspoons worth per loaf I make, which is 66 loaves. Sounds like a lot at first. Then, realize that you bake bread 5-6 times a week. And suddenly, that isn’t so much yeast. That is just over 2 months’ worth of bread-making. A one-pound bag of active dry yeast on Amazon is in the $9’ish range. I usually pick it up at a restaurant supply store for around $8.49, where I can also buy flour in 25 to 50-pound bags to really save money.
I have often thought that one of the best things I can do is bake bread for our family. A loaf of bread at a grocery store costs $3 to $10. I won’t buy the $3 loaves. They are stale and made of low-grade ingredients. But to buy $6 a loaf of bread every two days? It’s not worth the money; the bread rarely tastes fresh. It’s already days old when you buy it, and bread shouldn’t stay “fresh” for another week. That isn’t normal. It’s food science.
Cost Break Down:
As I mentioned, a one-pound bag of yeast costs $8.49, and each loaf using 2 teaspoons costs 13 cents to make. 13 cents!
I buy all-purpose flour in 25-pound bags for $15.99, or 63 cents a pound. On average, my daily bread machine recipe uses around 18.5 ounces of flour, so I can produce 21-22 loaves per 25-pound bag. I spend about $1.20 on flour per loaf.
Less than $1.35 per loaf. For me, that is worth it. Of course, any other ingredients raise the price, but sea salt is minimal. Water is essentially free for us. Only if I add oil or butter does it go up in price. But again, not by much as we try to always buy in bulk.
It saves me money. It is always fresh. It has no preservatives.
As I opened that final bag, I knew it had been money well spent. Yeast stays good as long as it is sealed and stored in good condition. Once opened, I keep the jar in the refrigerator. For the long term, I seal and freeze, using a mason jar to keep it airtight.
Today, the loaves are different. It was a rainy day, so why not do work with my hands? Last night I did the prep for them loaves before bed.
I tried out a new recipe I had seen. While it was great bread and easy to make, I wouldn’t call it “artisan bread” as it was labeled. Instead, call it no-knead or overnight bread. The loaves are soft and tasty. Just a few minutes of work, and the rest is hands-off time.
No-Knead Bread
Ingredients:
- 510 grams of all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1½ tsp fine sea salt
- 2¼ tsp dry active yeast (1 packet)
- 1¼ cups water (120°)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
Directions:
Add most of the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast into a mixing bowl.
Stir in the water and oil and mix with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Add the remaining flour, stirring well, until the flour is beaten in and the dough pulls away from the bowl’s side. The dough should be shaggy-looking but not overly sticky. If needed, work a little more flour in.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator overnight (but no longer than 24 hours).
Lightly oil a large baking sheet. Place on a heating pad set to medium or high (depending on how cold your home is).
Flour your hands, and divide the dough in half.
Gently stretch the dough in your hands, making a ball by wrapping it to the bottom. Gently pinch the bottom to seal.
Place each ball on the baking sheet about 5″ apart.
Lightly oil a piece of plastic wrap and cover loosely.
Let rise for 1½ hours.
Near the end, preheat the oven to 375°.
Boil a kettle full of water. Place an 8″x 8″ glass baking pan on the lower rack of the oven and fill it ¾ of the way with hot water.
Take off the plastic wrap, use a serrated knife, and gently slash a tic-tac-toe design on the top of each loaf.
Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Remove and transfer to a cooling rack immediately.
Makes 2 loaves.
~Sarah