In Praise of Bread Machines

 I bought a bread machine off of Craigslist for $10.00, and it quickly paid for itself.  Each weekend I make a loaf of bread for $0.78.  Below is the basic recipe that I've been using. 

*Note that homemade bread does not contain preservatives, so it does not stay fresh for long.  Once my freshly baked loaf cools down, I slice it and then freeze the slices.  I take a slice to work each day, and it thaws within a couple of hours.

Basic White Bread
3 cups bread flour
2 TBSP vegetable oil 
1 TBSP sugar
1.5 tsp bread machine yeast
1 tsp salt
1 cup warm water

Follow the instructions for your machine for a basic loaf.

Cost Per Loaf
​bread flour:  $0.47
oil: $0.08  
sugar:  $0.01
bread machine yeast:  $0.22
salt: N/A
total cost per loaf:  $0.78

*The price of oil listed here is calculated for "vegetable oil."  If you use olive oil, it will cost a little more, but you're still looking at a pretty cheap loaf of bread.