What you bake
How Much to Charge for Homemade Sourdough: $10 to $18 (2026)
A loaf by loaf way to price sourdough so your time and overhead are paid, not guessed.
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What to remember
- Cost the whole loaf, not just the flour.
- Pay yourself for the minutes you actually work.
- Add overhead per loaf before you set a price.
- Check the margin after all three costs.
The question of how much to charge for homemade sourdough gets easier when you stop looking at the flour bag and start looking at the whole loaf. The number you need covers ingredients, your hours, packaging, and the cost of running your oven. This guide walks through the math with a worked example you can copy.
What does one sourdough loaf cost you?
Start with the cost of one loaf, not the cost of a bag of flour. BakeProfit puts the cost to make a sourdough loaf at $3 to $5. That range covers the loaf, but it does not cover your time or the cost of running your oven. Treat it as your first line, not your final price.
Your flour cost changes when you switch brands or buy in different sizes. Keep the receipt from your last bag and divide by the number of loaves you get from it. Do the same for starter flour, salt, and any add-ins. A loaf with olives or cheese has a different cost from a plain loaf, so cost each version.
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Add your labor before you add profit
A sourdough loaf takes 24 to 48 hours to make, according to BakeProfit. Most of that time is waiting, not working. Count only the minutes you mix, fold, shape, score, and pack. Those are the minutes you are paying yourself for.
Pick an hourly rate you can live with and write it down. If you pay yourself $12 an hour for 30 minutes of active work, that is $6 per loaf. Without that line, a $14 loaf can look profitable when it is not.
The 24 to 48 hour clock is not your pay rate. You are not standing at the counter that whole time. Track the minutes you actually touch the dough, then add the time you spend packing, labeling, and answering messages about the order. Those minutes are part of the loaf.
Add overhead per loaf
Overhead is the cost of running your baking business. Add oven power, packaging, labels, market fees, and delivery miles. Divide the monthly total by the number of loaves you sell in that month. That gives you a dollar amount to add to every loaf.
Do not leave overhead out because it feels small. A label, a bag, and a market fee add up across a table of loaves. If you sell 40 loaves a month and your overhead is $60, that is $1.50 per loaf.
If you sell at a market, add the table fee to your monthly overhead. If you deliver, add the miles and the time. If you sell from home, add the bags, labels, and the power for the oven. Divide the total by the loaves you expect to sell, not the loaves you hope to sell.
A worked example for one $14 loaf
For example, use $4 for ingredients, inside the $3 to $5 range from the same guide. Pay yourself $12 an hour for 30 minutes of active work, which is $6. Add $1.50 for overhead. At $14, you keep $2.50, about 18%. At $16, you keep $4.50, about 28%.
A $2.50 margin on a $14 loaf is about 18%. If you want a 30% margin, the price needs to be higher or the cost needs to be lower. At the same $11.50 cost, a 30% margin needs a price near $16.43. Round to $16.50 or $17 and check it against your market range.
Mistakes that cost you money
The first mistake is pricing from flour alone. The second is forgetting packaging and market fees. The third is copying a $10 price without checking your own cost. The fourth is selling wholesale at your retail price. Each one leaves money on the table.
Wholesale is not the same as retail. A shop that buys 10 loaves may ask for a lower price. If you cut the price without cutting the cost, the margin shrinks fast. Run the same three lines for the wholesale order and decide if the volume is worth it.
What to check before you commit to a price
Before you print a price, run these five checks. They keep a busy week from turning into a loss.
Cost one loaf
Add up flour, starter, salt, add-ins, and packaging for a single loaf. The same guide puts a sourdough loaf at $3 to $5 to make.
Track your active minutes
Write down the time you mix, fold, shape, score, and pack. Multiply those minutes by the hourly rate you choose.
Divide overhead by loaves
Add oven power, labels, market fees, and delivery costs for the month. Divide by the number of loaves you sell.
Pick a price in your range
Artisan markets charge $10 to $18 a loaf, according to the same guide. Choose a price that covers ingredients, labor, and overhead.
Check the margin
Subtract all three costs from the price. If the margin is too thin, raise the price, cut the loaf size, or drop the add-ins.
Check your packaging cost before you set the price. A bag, a label, and a sticker can add more than you think across 40 loaves. If you change packaging, rerun the cost. The same goes for a new flour or a new add-in.
How to set a price you can defend
A price you can defend is built from numbers you can show. Keep a simple sheet for each loaf: ingredients, active minutes, overhead, and the price you charged. When a customer asks why the loaf is $14, you can point to the work and the cost, not a feeling.
You can raise a price when your cost goes up. Tell repeat customers before the next bake, not after they order. A short note that flour and packaging went up is enough. Keep your old price for orders you already accepted.
If you want the full cost method, see how to calculate what to charge for baked goods. For a margin target, use what to charge for homemade baked goods. To run the numbers fast, try the baked goods pricing calculator guide. For a 30% margin target, see how much to charge for baked goods for a 30% margin. If you want the short version of the charging process, read how to charge for baked goods.
The right price is the one that pays you for the loaf you made. Run the numbers once, then keep them current as flour, packaging, and fees change.
Common questions
Should I charge the same price for every sourdough loaf?
Not always. A plain loaf and a loaf with olives, cheese, or seeds do not cost the same. Cost each version, then set a price for each. Keep the plain loaf as your base price and add the extra ingredient cost plus your labor before you add margin.
Do I have to pay myself when I price a loaf?
Yes, if you want the business to last. Your time is a real cost, even when you bake at home. Pick an hourly rate you can live with, track only the minutes you work, and add that pay before you add profit. Otherwise a busy week can leave you with nothing.
What if my cost is $5 and my market pays $10?
That is a thin spread. At $10, you have $5 left for labor, overhead, and margin. If your active work and overhead come to $4, you keep $1. That may not be worth the bake. Raise the price, cut the loaf size, or simplify the recipe.
How do I price a wholesale sourdough order?
Start from your full cost, not your retail price. Add ingredients, labor, and overhead for every loaf in the order. Then add a margin you can accept. A wholesale price that is half your retail price can wipe out a thin margin, so run the numbers before you say yes.
Can I charge more for add-ins like olives or cheese?
Yes, if you cost them first. Add the price of the extra ingredient to the loaf cost, then add the extra minutes it takes to prepare and pack. Check the final price against your market range. Do not guess the add-in cost from memory.
Sources
General information, not legal or tax advice. Check your state cottage food rules before you sell.