How much does a loaf of bread cost where you live?

[free sample addict aka Tracy L]

I keep seeing loaves of bread for about $3.75 in the grocery stores and $4.00 -$5.00 in bakeries/bread stores. Even the cheap bread is almost $3. Large families who go through several loaves a week must really hate the prices. It is more than I want to spend, but on the positive side I am now motivated to make my own. I have about 3-4 books just sitting on my shelf. BTW, I live in Northern California.

[dcrf]

Its just the wife and I so we buy Portland french rustic loaf 4.15 a loaf or fresh baguette's for .99-1.99 ea.We live about 25mi.east of Portland Or.

[CocoaNut]

The grocery store commercial brands are about 1.75 - 2.40/50 in the D/FW area. Artisan breads are upwards of 3.00 - 6 depending on where you buy them. We also have the bread outlets but haven't shopped them, so don't know their prices.

[CityGuySF]

I live in Northern California, too (San Francisco, to be specific), and the bread I buy is nearly $6 per loaf. It's ridiculous, and I am SO upset about it. Unfortunately, that is the one I like, and I believe it to be the best. But I continually question my decision to buy it. The brand is Vital Vittles, and I buy it at Whole Foods in San Francisco. A 2lb loaf of either their "Real Bread" or their 12-Grain Bread costs a whopping $5.79 per loaf(!!!). I've done a bit of research on this, and it turns out that Vital Vittles is the single most expensive loaf of bread you can buy at ANY supermarket in the ENTIRE United States. Such pricing is, to me, is reckless & irresponsible, and I don't know how they can justify it. I want to stop buying it, but I've not yet found a suitable replacement. It sucks because I love it, yet can't justify buying it anymore. Kind of like Illy coffee...

[paulj]

I think you just explained how they can justify it - enough people (like you) are willing to pay the price rather than shift to another brand.

$3.50/lb is not that unusual for baked goods.

[OnkleWillie]

We live near Dallas and neither one of us eat regular supermarket bread.

My wife gets her multigrain bread from our local green grocer at $3.50 for a small loaf or from WF at $4.25 .

I get my sourdough and sourdough rye from Central Market at $3.50 for a half loaf. The loaves are elliptical so a half loaf yields about 8 or 9 usable slices. The heels however go well with Pav Bhaji.

[Kajikit]

DH like Pepperidge Farm - it's gone up to $3.20 a loaf so we don't buy it much. Publix store brand is $1.75 or so and other commercial brands are in between. I buy whichever brand is BOGO that week because they're really all much of a muchness in quality.

PS. Artistan breads? Don't ask! T^here are some really nice bakeries in our neighourhood but they're $5 and up for a basic loaf. I need to start making our own! And we're in South Florida.

[coll]

I get a loaf of Arnold whole wheat every week for DH's lunch. It's supposed to be $3.79 but I don't think I ever pay that price, it's always on sale for $1.99 or $2.50. I always have a backup loaf in the freezer so I don't get caught short.

Now bakery bread, well I live near the Hamptons, and I'd say $7 to $8 for something like a baguette would be average. A lot of it is just bake off anyway so I avoid.

[mia32]

I live in Ontario, Canada and just went into the Zehrs here and the cost of a loaf of Wonder bread was almost $3.00. HA as if I'm gonna pay that lol. Yet I go to a small, county store and I can get the bread on sale for a $1.29. Preferably I buy all my bread and buns at a bakery. For one the loaves are bigger, fresher, healthier and less money than a dumb, puny loaf of some factory made bread. Has anyone noticed that certain brands of bread are downsizing? The loaves are smaller by so many grams. Today, Im going to make my own in my bread machine and probably a big pan of foccacia. It will cost me pennies. I think its disgusting how packages of products are getting smaller but prices are increasing. Food in general is used as a control mechanism by greedy, corporate losers in their so called power positions. I mean what do they care. Theyre rich and can buy what they want!

[FrankD]

Geez, I live just north of Toronto, and generic sandwich breads are usually $1.50-$1.99 loaf, and sometimes on sale for $0.99. Better, whole grain breads, such as Dempsters or Country Harvest can be $3.29 each, but one or the other is always on sale, if you care to read the flyers and go from store to store, and I can usually get them for $2.49. About every six weeks, they go on for $1.99 a loaf somewhere, and I'll buy 2-3, depending on how much room is in my freezer.

Non-mass produced breads from local bakeries, such as Vienna/French loaves, or Calabrese/Ciabaitta are usually more expensive, $3.29 or so, although again, you can find them on sale.

My biggest complaint is the cost of rye breads. The heavy German style breads are very expensive, and you only get 12-14 slices, so they are, unfortunately, just an occasional treat.

[Shann]

My favorite baguettes are $4.00 at the local bakery. They are huge for baguettes so I think its a good deal. At the Hannafords, most regular commercial breads are $2.89-$3.99 per loaf.

When I load up at the local bread "outlet" (I call it the used bread store) it ranges from $1.39 for wonderbread style up to about $1.89 for good multi-grain bread. Thomas English Muffins there are only $1.39 compared to $2.99 at the store.

[Lizard]

At Tesco, from the Tesco bakery, a small loaf costs about 67p, a large loaf £1.19, Tiger bread (an addictive substance I avoid else I eat the loaf) between 80p-£1. Baguettes are under £1 but I can't remember what the larger ones cost.
I don't often go to the local bakeries for bread, but that's because I try not to cave into my baser cravings.

[paulj]

Also, are we talking about 1lb, 2lb loaves or what?

I get most of my bread from Trader Joes. Around 2.50 for the 1lb artisan breads (levian), closer to 3 for a 24oz 9 grain. Good flour tortillas for 2, 'truely handmade' closer to 3.

[milkyway4679]

For a loaf of Italian sandwich bread, we are paying $1.69 this week on sale at Wegmans. A loaf is less than 3 bucks usually though. I live in Western New York.

[Missy2U]

Butternut (all my husband will eat) - $2.99 or so a loaf. On sale sometimes for half that.
Dominick's store brand - $.99 per loaf.
Huge long baguette from the bakery section (used for all kinds of other stuff like garlic bread, appetizers, etc.) - $2.29 a loaf.
Good rye bread - $3.59 a loaf.
Cocktail rye - $2.99 a loaf (I think - it's been a while).

Meant to add - I'm in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago.

[Breadcrumbs]

In Toronto and these prices translate pretty well for us though the brand names differ. The only difference would be the store brand which is typically $1.19 for a standard loaf. In store bakery brand french bread and others (named and shaped differently but undoubtedly the same bread!) - 97cents a loaf.

[chicaraleigh]

In Raleigh, NC commercial brand whole wheat is ~$4, white ~$2.50, rye ~$4

speciality loaves can be as low as a $1 for a baguette up to $5 or $6 for dark pumpernickle or other "specialty" types

[Bada Bing]

This thread could be helpful, but maybe only if we distinguish different types of bread.

For commercial loaves (for the kids' PBJ sandwiches, etc.), my everyday ones are whole-wheat and cost about $3.50-3.80 unless you find them on sale (when it's two-for-$5 or better, I stock up). Our preferred brand is Brownberry (which might be Orowheat or Arnold's elsewhere in the USA). But you could easily buy a loaf labeled "whole wheat" for half that price, the problem being that it has at least 1/3 less fiber, uses high fructose corn syrup, and offers less flavor, no doubt because they over-yeast in order to reduce production time. With white breads, the price floor drops even lower, although there are some better brands, like Pepperidge Farm white sandwich bread (about $3), which I buy sometimes to make bread cubes for Turkey stuffing. Again, however, you could walk out the door any day of the week with a $1 loaf of crappy white bread.

For artisanal loaves, pickings are slim here, but there is at least one high-quality baker, and you're starting at the mid-$4 range for most loaves (genuine rye, sourdough, farm breads, whole wheat rustic loaves, etc.)

Years ago when I live in Ann Arbor, MI, the Zingerman's bakehouse hooked me on serious bread, but they charge $5-7 per loaf, and that's when I learned to make my own. And just as well, eventually!

[bdachow]

Sadly, I pay close to $6 a loaf. And sometimes, it's moldy but hidden by the bag decals. *sigh*...living in Bermuda is not as glamorous as some think sometimes.

[bermudagourmetgoddess]

So true bdachow! It hurts paying that and getting home only to find out it's moldy!

[mia32]

bdachow...I cant believe you pay close to six bucks a loaf...thats insane that it costs that much. It's evil as far as I'm concerned.

[lagatta]

Many island nations have very high costs on certain staple foods. In Martinique and Guadeloupe, many food items come all the way over from Europe.

Here, it is in the Arctic and other northern, remote areas that food costs are through the roof like that.

bdachow, is flour terribly costly as well? It might be worth your while to get a bread-baking machine (which wouldn't heat up your kitchen or use as much energy as baking bread in the oven).

[dmckean]

At that price, I'd learn to bake.

[Pata_Negra]

i eat mostly german breads, either pure rye or half, and it normally costs eur.2.50 [about U$3.25].
[i'm Netherlands]

[lagatta]

Pata_Negra, are these breads made in neighbouring Germany, or in a German style?

There is a lot of nutrition and heft in those German breads though.

Hello, qcfoodi! If you don't mind day-old breads, the Loblaws company stores (Loblaws, Maxi, Provigo, Intermarché) sell theirs for 1/2 price. At that price for supermarket loaves, you might do better buying artesanal bread (I don't buy sliced loaf bread).

[Pata_Negra]

imported from Germany. there are several kinds but i've only got a couple of pics so far [2nd and 3rd pics]: http://saudades.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=food&action=display&thread=544 , (last 2 pics): http://saudades.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=food&action=display&thread=563

luckily i'm only a short train ride to paradise. the real thing (!) --> http://saudades.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=food&action=display&thread=566 , and http://saudades.proboards.com/index.c...

(i'm very particular about breads.)

[SnackHappy]

I believe Loblaws have changed their policy and are now selling their clearout stuff (that includes pastries and meat as well as bread) for 30% off instead of 50%. They also seem to have stopped their practise, which I really liked, of taking 50% off Premiere Moisson breads one hour before closing.

If you're looking for cheap sliced bread, there are always the discount stores in popular neighbourhoods. Here in Hochelaga we have a bread store, a Vachon store that sells other Saputo products and a Mr Christie store that sells various Nabisco products. It ain't fancy stuff, but it helps some people make ends meet.

[lagatta]

I was in a Maxi this week (Maxi is Loblaws' discount banner) and bread and charcuterie were still market 50% off - meat has been 30% off for quite a few months, and I stopped buying it.

I've never found any bread I'd eat at those discount stores - I'd rather eat rice or pasta, bulghur etc rather than crappy bread if hard up, but I suppose it is a lifesaver for families.

[SnackHappy]

Thanks lagatta, I guess I saw wrong. I agree that those bread places don't have much of anything interesting, but they're still useful for club sandwich night.

[Perilagu Khan]

Low end--Wal Mart brand for ca. $1.30

High end--Several brands go for close to $4.00

[jadec]

$2 for a whole wheat loaf here in the Midwest at the supermarket; $1 for supermarket brand white bread on sale.

[Mestralle]

I agree with the above prices, but I'll add that bread at our neighborhood bakery is $5 for a large loaf of sourdough. It's expensive but worth it. (We don't have kids, which is a huge factor in our food purchasing decisions.)

[Breadcrumbs]

Mmm, do you happen to live in San Fran? I'd almost pay air fare for that sourdough!!! ; - )

[Mestralle]

Actually we're in Southwest Michigan, which is what makes it a rather scandalous price for bread: We tend to have very good food prices and availability here, with two local competing grocery chains. Many of the national chains that people talk about (Trader Joe's, Whole Foods or the expanded Wal-Marts) are reluctant to open here for just that reason. However, this particular bakery (Nantucket Baking Company) has very addictive sourdough that easily rivals what I used to get in San Francisco. We buy sandwich loaves, but they also have small and large baguettes for somewhere around $2.79 and $3.79.

[monku]

The Costco multi-grain bread is good at around $2.25/loaf (2 loaves to a package) when you compare it to Miltons.
In Los Angeles there are several bread outlets where you can find day old or fresh overstock bread for half price.
I don't mind buying day old because most of the time I'm toasting it.

[mangetoutoc]

Also in L.A., Jon's market (at least our H'wood stores) have great dark rye and finger breads from local bakeries from just under to just over $2.

[greygarious]

I was comparing Costco receipts and noticed this week that the 2-pack of instore baked Roasted Garlic bread loaves has gone up to $4.49, from $3.49 in May. National brand supermarket breads are usually around $3-3.50 for the 24oz loaf in the Boston area.