Selling and marketing
Sourdough Business Profit: What You Keep (2026)
A clear way to figure your sourdough profit so you know what you actually keep per loaf.
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Your sourdough business profit depends on three numbers you control. They are what you pay for ingredients, what your time is worth, and what it costs to run your shop. Brevl costs one flat $20 a month and takes 0% of your sales. Your overhead stays the same whether you sell five loaves or fifty. That makes the math simpler.
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What to remember
- Ingredients are only one part of your cost.
- Your time is a real cost, even if you are the one baking.
- Overhead like a $20 monthly shop fee counts too.
- Profit is what is left after all three.
What counts as cost in a sourdough loaf
Start with ingredients. That is flour, water, salt, and anything else in the loaf. Then add packaging: bags, labels, and ties. Write down every item you buy for a bake. If you buy in bulk, divide the cost by how many loaves you get from that bag.
Next comes labor. This is the part that is easy to skip. Write down how many hours you spend mixing, shaping, baking, and packing. Multiply that by an hourly rate you would pay someone else. If you would pay a helper $15 an hour, that is your rate. Your time is not free.
Finally, add overhead. That is your monthly shop fee, power for the oven, and any market fees. Brevl is $20 a month with no cut of your sales. If you sell at a farmers market, your booth fee is overhead too. If you sell from home, your overhead might be smaller. The point is to count every dollar that leaves your pocket before you call the rest profit.
How to work out your profit per loaf
Take your total sales for a month. Subtract your total ingredient cost, your total labor cost, and your total overhead. What is left is your sourdough business profit. Divide that by the number of loaves you sold to see your profit per loaf.
For example, your sales for the month are S. Your ingredient cost is I. Your labor cost is L. Your overhead is O. Your profit is S minus (I + L + O). Brevl is part of O at $20 a month. Your labor rate might be $15 an hour if that is what you would pay a helper. You fill in I from your receipts and L from your time log. That gives you a real margin, not a guess. Divide that profit by the number of loaves you sold to see your profit per loaf. Your margin is that profit divided by your sales.
Why per loaf? Because that is how you compare one recipe to another. If one loaf leaves you $2 and another leaves you $5, you know where to focus. You can also see if a price change makes sense. Raise the price by $1. Your profit per loaf goes up by $1. That holds as long as you still sell the same number.
You can lower your cost without lowering your price. Buy flour in larger bags if you have space. Use simpler packaging. Batch your baking so the oven runs once. Each small change adds a few cents back to your profit per loaf.
If you sell wholesale, your price per loaf is lower. That means your margin per loaf is thinner. You need to sell more loaves to make the same profit. Check the numbers before you agree to a wholesale order.
How to track your three costs each week
Set up a simple sheet with three columns for ingredients, labor, and overhead. Write down every purchase and every hour as it happens. At the end of the week, add each column. That gives you a weekly cost total you can trust.
For ingredients, keep receipts and divide bulk bags by the number of loaves you get. For labor, use a timer from start to finish. For overhead, list your monthly shop fee, power, and market fees. Brevl is one line in that overhead column at $20 a month.
If you track for one week, you can multiply by four to estimate a month. That estimate is better than a guess. You can update it when your costs change.
How to set a price from your cost per loaf
Start with your cost per loaf. That is ingredients plus labor plus overhead for each loaf. Then add the margin you want. If your cost per loaf is C and you want a margin of M, your price is C plus M.
Check what your market will pay. Look at other sourdough sellers nearby. You do not have to match them, but you need to know the range. If your price is far above the range, you may need to lower your cost or find a different market.
If your profit per loaf is under a dollar, your price is too low or your costs are too high. You have two levers: raise your price or lower your cost. Try a smaller loaf or simpler packaging. Check if you can buy ingredients in bulk.
How to compare profit across recipes and markets
Per loaf profit lets you compare one recipe to another. If one loaf leaves you $2 and another leaves you $5, you know where to focus. You can also see if a price change makes sense. Raise the price by $1. Your profit per loaf goes up by $1. That holds as long as you still sell the same number.
Wholesale changes the math. If you sell wholesale, your price per loaf is lower. That means your margin per loaf is thinner. You need to sell more loaves to make the same profit. Check the numbers before you agree to a wholesale order.
Farmers market fees are overhead. If your booth fee is high, your overhead per loaf goes up. If you sell from home, your overhead might be smaller. The point is to count every dollar that leaves your pocket before you call the rest profit.
Mistakes that eat your sourdough profit
A common mistake is pricing from flour alone. Flour is cheap. Packaging, power, and your time add up. Another mistake is ignoring overhead. A $20 monthly shop fee is small, but it is still a cost. Count it.
A third mistake is guessing your hours. Track them for one week. You might be surprised how long a bake day really takes. That number changes your price.
What to check before you set your price
Check what your market will pay. Look at other sourdough sellers nearby. You do not have to match them, but you need to know the range. Then check your margin. If your profit per loaf is under a dollar, your price is too low or your costs are too high.
Also check your time. If you are working for free, you are not making a profit. You are making a hobby that costs money. A real business pays its baker.
Where Brevl fits
Brevl is a shop you can customize with your photos, your colors, and your own web address. You take card payments through your own Stripe or Square account, plus Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, and cash. Recipes with real costing and ingredient inventory help you price and plan. We set it up with you and move your old shop over. A real person answers, usually within minutes. 14 day free trial.
For more on the selling side, see the selling topic hub.
Common questions
What is a good profit margin for sourdough?
There is no single number that fits every baker. A good margin is one that pays you for your time and leaves something extra after ingredients and overhead. If you are not paying yourself, your margin is not real. Start by covering all three costs, then add a small buffer.
Should I include my own labor in the cost?
Yes. Your labor is a real cost, even if you are the only one baking. If you do not count it, you are not running a business. You are running a hobby that costs money. Pay yourself an hourly rate before you call anything profit.
How do I know my overhead per loaf?
Add up your monthly overhead, like your Brevl fee and power. Then divide by the number of loaves you sell in a month. If you sell 20 loaves and your overhead is $40, that is $2 per loaf. That number goes into your cost.
What if my profit per loaf is too low?
You have two levers: raise your price or lower your cost. Try a smaller loaf or simpler packaging. Check if you can buy ingredients in bulk. If your market will not pay more, you may need a different product or a different market.
Does Brevl take a cut of my sales?
No. Brevl is one flat $20 a month with 0% commission. You keep every dollar you sell. You take card payments through your own Stripe or Square account, plus Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, and cash. That keeps your overhead predictable.
General information, not legal or tax advice.