Why We Ditch the Store-Bought and Bake Bread Every Day

Find out why our large homesteading family skips the store bread aisle and bakes homemade bread from scratch every day—saving money, improving health, and building connection.

If you’re new here—Hi, I’m a homesteading mom of 7, feeding a family of 9 from our land, hands, and farm. And if you know us, you already know: we don’t buy store-bought bread.

We bake it—every. Single. Week.

And no, that doesn’t mean we’re some magical bread elves with endless hours to knead dough in a sun-drenched cottage kitchen. (Okay, maybe the sun part is genuine.) It means we found a rhythm that works, saves us over $3,500 a year, and fills our table with warm, nourishing loaves daily.

So why do we do it? Let me tell you.

Store-Bought Bread? No, Thanks.

I used to grab a few loaves of “whole wheat” or “honey oat” at the store, thinking I was doing a good thing. But one peek at the label made me pause—corn syrup, preservatives, dough conditioners, emulsifiers… what are half these ingredients?

Now multiply that by a family of 9. That’s a lot of daily fillers. So I tossed the plastic bags and said, “Let’s do better.”

Baking Bread Saves Big Bucks

Let’s get honest about cost. Store-bought bread costs anywhere from $2 to $5 a loaf; when you’re a large family eating sandwiches, toast, French toast, rolls, and more, it adds up fast.

Here’s our math:

Our family eats 1 to 2 loaves per day.
Homemade bread costs less than $1 per loaf.
Over a year? That’s a $3,500+ savings—just by baking bread!
Not to mention, we’re feeding our family real food with five ingredients or fewer, not 25.

It’s Part of Our Rhythm

Every morning or evening, depending on the day, we throw a batch of dough into the mixer. Sometimes, it’s sandwich bread, dinner rolls, and sometimes cinnamon swirl bread because… well, yum.

Baking is a daily rhythm that grounds our home. My kids take turns shaping rolls, greasing pans, and brushing loaves with butter when they come out of the oven. It’s part of our routine, and honestly, it's part of our joy.

It smells like home. Feels like home. It is home.

The Health Benefits Are Worth the Effort

Bread doesn’t have to be the villain. It's a source of energy, comfort, and nourishment when made from scratch with simple, wholesome ingredients—flour, water, yeast, salt, and a touch of honey or butter.

We’ve noticed:

Better digestion (especially with long-fermented doughs or sourdough)
Fuller tummies that last longer
Improved behavior and focus in our kids (no sugar crashes or chemical fogs)
Happier mealtimes with fewer food battles

Bread is not the enemy. Store-bought junk masquerading as bread is.

I Bake with Purpose

When we bake bread, we’re not just making food—we’re making a statement.

I am saying:

We care about what goes into our bodies.
We value tradition, skill, and sustainability.
We choose slow food, not fast food.
We’re capable of making what we need with our own two hands.

It’s Easier Than You Think

If baking bread daily sounds too much, hear me out: once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature. You don’t need fancy gear or artisan techniques.

Here’s what we use:

A stand mixer with a dough hook
A good loaf pan or baking sheet
Basic pantry staples

Want to go to the next level? Try sourdough, milk bread, or homemade hamburger buns. The options are endless once you start.

You Don’t Need to Start Big

Start with one day a week. Make a batch of rolls for Sunday dinner or a sandwich loaf on Monday morning. Store extras in the freezer and build from there. Soon enough, you’ll get the feel of it and might even look forward to it.

(Yes, even when life is busy. Especially then.)

Our Favorite Breads to Bake

Here’s what we keep in regular rotation:
Sandwich loaves for lunch
Cinnamon swirl bread for breakfast
Rustic dinner rolls
Pizza dough for Friday nights
French bread for pasta night
Sourdough (when we’re feeling fancy)

And every one of those brings someone running to the kitchen.

Teaching Kids to Bake Is a Gift

Letting your kids bake bread teaches more than cooking—it teaches:
Patience (hello, rising dough)
Math (measuring ingredients)
Confidence (I made this!)
Work ethic (doing something from start to finish)

It also teaches them that food doesn’t come from boxes—it comes from effort.

My older kids now bake independently, and my littles are pros at stirring and dusting flour on counters like they’re on the Great British Bake Off.

We’ll Never Go Back

Could I toss a loaf in the cart and call it done? Sure. But we’ve come too far to go back.

Baking bread is more than a task—it’s a philosophy. It’s how we show up for our family, live our values, and bring goodness to our table daily.

Want to Start Your Bread Routine?

Everyday Bread Recipe Vol. 2—I’ll walk you through our favorite daily loaves, rolls, and baking routines that even beginners can master. You’ll learn: