Why are sourdough goods have increased in cost?

Why does organic sourdough bread cost $15–$22 per loaf?

Many people don’t realize what goes into the true cost of artisan bread. The ingredients alone: organic flour, starter, and salt cost the baker approximately $2.78-$6.21 per loaf. This does not include utilities such as water and electricity, which are essential to production but often overlooked.

In addition to ingredients, there are packaging and presentation costs: bread bags, labels, sales tax, sourcing clean organic ingridents, printing, new tools, investing right back into their business, and food-safe materials, all required for compliance, freshness, and a professional customer experience. 

There is also significant time invested in mixing, folding, fermenting, shaping, baking, cooling, packaging, labeling, and coordinating pickup or delivery.

When a customer pays by credit card, standard processing fees (such as those charged by Square) take 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction. On top of that, self-employed bakers, especially those operating as LLCs, pay approximately 21% in self-employment taxes on what they make. 

After accounting for ingredients, supplies, fees, taxes, and labor, the baker nets roughly $6.27 per loaf for a product that takes nearly three days to craft from start to finish. That income supports not only a household, but also a registered local business committed to quality, food safety, and sustainability.

In reality, handmade sourdough involves far more than flour and water, it reflects time, skill, compliance, overhead, and care. Supporting local bakeries means supporting craftsmanship, transparency, and small businesses doing things the right way.

So grateful for all of our customers who continue to support us in this unique craft! 

🫶🫶🫶