Saving money with the bread machine

Buying bread from the store is what most people do. But, what if you could make your own bread at home?

Could you save money over buying it from the store?

Saving money with a bread machine and homemade bread

Bread is a staple in most of our households. You make sandwiches with it or use it to accompany a meal. It is the one carbohydrate that most everyone agrees on. Bread comes in different shapes and forms: loaf, baguette, bagel, muffin, roll or crust like with pizza.

But, just like everything else, bread is getting expensive too. What if there was a way to save money on it? There is. You can make it at home.

Making bread at home

We are not talking about making bread the traditional way but with a bread machine. With traditional bread making, what you would save on ingredients is eaten up in time. It isn’t very cost effective if you eat bread a lot. Significant amounts of your time would be spent in the prep stages before baking.

When it comes to using a bread machine, many have the same worries. Because there are so many varieties of bread machine on the market, you can spend under $100 and make your money back in no time.

First, choose the breads you want to make. All bread machines are not handy for every type of bread. A more expensive version may be needed if you will use it for a variety of breads and rolls. A larger bread machine may be practical for those who bake often.

You can invest by buying ingredients in bulk. Most bread machines use the same type of ingredients for bread with a few exceptions. You can catch a break by buying in quantity.

The bread machine offers several helpful options for those trying to save money. One, you can make several kinds of dough and then freeze them for later. This is not time consuming in the machine and then you can thaw and bake your bread whenever you need it. It avoids spoiled bread and waste.

Second, you can use the rapid bake cycle found on some machines. If you need bread fast, you can have it baked in under an hour. It beats spending gas driving to the store and paying for one loaf of bread.

Third, the entire family can learn to make bread. This is a help for a busy mom who doesn’t always have time to bake. Her family can help.

Look at the cost of a bread machine. For what you pay for the machine and what you spend in bread each month, you can save money by making your own bread at home whenever your family needs it.

Bread machine versus traditional bread baking

What makes a bread machine better than traditional bread baking? It is really a matter of choice. It is up to the baker to decide if they would rather have one or the other. Here are some facts to compare the two and decide for yourself.

Technology is not all bad. Just because bread can be baked in a machine doesn’t mean it will taste bad or not be as soft as homemade breads. The main reason to use a bread machine is time savings. You don’t have to stand in the kitchen all day.

But, we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. Keep reading to find out the advantages of both and see what you think.

Advantages of the bread machine

We let part of the cat out of the bag on this one. As we alluded to above, bread machines will save time. If you don’t have hours to wait for bread to rise, knead it and then shape it into a loaf in the pan, then you can use a bread machine that can do that for you.

A bread machine is also programmable. This means that you can do a variety of things with it. For instance, if you don’t want to bake the bread right away, then you can purchase a bread machine that can stop the cycle after the kneading. Now you can remove your finished dough and freeze it. If you want to make rolls, you can divide your dough and add it to baking cups.

Bread machines make it easy to vary the size of the bread to be baked. It will give you all the instructions you need to adjust the size and produce a bigger loaf if you need to. With the various features, you can bake your bread overnight so it is fresh and ready in the morning for breakfast.

Anyone can make bread with a bread machine if they can follow directions. You can vary with texture and taste with traditional recipes depending on the skill of the baker. With a bread machine, the skill is built in.

Bread machines are safe to use. Many have safety shut off features so you don’t have to worry about a power surge causing damage to your bread machine or the bread. And, if you fall asleep, don’t worry. The machine can handle the baking and your bread will be perfect when you wake.

Advantages of traditional bread baking

If you have baked bread before then you know the process. And, you also have the ingredients on hand. You can get started right away. Depending on the bread machine recipe and the machine itself, you may have to spend money on products to use for it to get started making your bread.

There are more advantages to making bread using a bread machine. If you like the feel of traditional bread and don’t mind the time involved, it is still an option.