Selling and marketing
Sourdough Price List: Cost per Loaf and Your Margin (2026)
A clear way to build a sourdough price list that covers ingredients, your time, and the shop fee.
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Your sourdough price list is a business document, so build it from your own numbers. The list should show the price for each size you sell and the amount left after every cost. That way you can hand it to a customer or use it to check a market table.
Start with the cost of one loaf
Cost one loaf before you look at anyone else’s menu. Add your ingredients, packaging, and the power for your oven. If you sell at a market, add the table fee and the gas to get there. Our guide to sourdough bread pricing walks through the full cost sheet.
Packaging is part of the cost, not a separate favor. A box, a bag, a label, and a sticker all add up. Put the packaging cost on the same line as the loaf, so you do not forget it when you set the price.
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Add your time and the monthly shop fee
Your time is a real cost, even when you bake at home. Pick an hourly rate you would pay someone else to do the same work. Multiply it by the hours one loaf takes, then divide by the number of loaves in that bake. Write that number on the list.
Then add the cost of taking orders and getting paid. Brevl is one flat $20 a month with no cut of your sales. That fee is overhead, so divide it by the number of loaves you expect to sell in a month. Add that amount to each loaf.
If you take card payments, check the fee your processor charges and add it to the cost side. A small fee on every sale adds up over a month. Put it on the list so you do not guess later.
Build the sourdough price list by size
Your list needs four columns: the item, the price, the total cost, and the margin. The margin column is the one that tells you if the list works. Add a date at the top so you know when you last checked it.
A sourdough price list should cover every size you sell, not just the standard loaf. List the small loaf, the large loaf, and any rolls or crusts you make from the same dough. Each one carries a different amount of dough, time, and packaging.
List every size
Write down each loaf size and each roll you sell. Do not leave a size off because it is small.
Cost each size on its own
Use the dough weight and the packaging for that size. A small loaf does not carry the same cost as a large one.
Add labor per size
Time the shaping, proofing, and baking for each size. Add your hourly rate to that line.
Add overhead per size
Divide the $20 monthly shop fee by the number of items you sell. Add that amount to each line.
Set the price and check the margin
Subtract all three costs from your price. If the margin is too thin, change the size or the price before you print the list.
If you sell wholesale, build a second list. A shop that buys ten loaves at a time needs a lower price per loaf, but your labor and overhead do not drop by half. Check the margin on the wholesale list before you say yes.
If you sell a bundle, price the bundle on its own line. A box of two loaves and a jar of starter has a different cost than two loaves alone. Do not multiply the single price by two and call it done.
A worked example you can copy
Take the $20 monthly fee. If you sell 20 loaves in a month, the fee adds $1 to each loaf. Write your ingredient cost per loaf on the first line. Write your labor cost per loaf on the second line. Add the $1 overhead. Subtract that total from your price. The number left is your margin.
If the margin is negative, do not sell that size. Change the size, change the ingredients, or change the price. A price list that loses money on every loaf is not a price list, it is a donation.
Mistakes that cost you money
The first mistake is pricing from flour alone. Packaging, power, and your time are easy to forget. The second is copying a bakery price without their rent and staff. You cannot carry their costs, so their price is not your price.
The third mistake is a list that never changes. Flour and packaging prices move, so check your list every season. If a cost goes up, change the price or change the size. Do not wait until the margin is gone.
Do not hide the shop fee in a round number. If the $20 monthly fee adds $1 to each loaf, write that $1 on the cost sheet. When you raise the price later, you will know why.
Do not copy a price from a shop that pays rent and staff. Their costs are not your costs. Use their price as a check, not as your starting point.
Check the list before you commit
Before you print the list, check it against your last three bakes. Did you use more starter than you thought. Did you buy boxes you forgot to count. Did you drive to a market and leave the fee off. A price list is only useful if it matches what you actually spend.
Then test the list with one customer. Offer one size at the new price and see if it sells. If it does, keep the list. If it does not, cut the size before you cut your pay. Our guide to how to price sourdough loaves shows the same math for a single loaf.
For more on taking orders and getting paid, see selling home baked goods. If you sell at a market, read sell sourdough locally before you set the table price. If you take orders through your shop, read sell sourdough online so the delivery cost is on the list.
Common questions
What should a sourdough price list include?
It should list each size you sell, the price, the total cost, and the margin. The total cost needs ingredients, packaging, your time, and the monthly shop fee. Add the date you last checked it, so you know when to update the numbers.
How do I price a loaf if I sell at a market?
Add the market table fee and your travel cost to the overhead line before you set the price. Then divide those costs by the number of loaves you expect to sell that day. If the margin is too thin, sell a smaller loaf or skip that market.
Should I charge the same price for every size?
No. A small loaf uses less dough, less packaging, and less oven time than a large one. Cost each size on its own and set a separate price. A single price for every size usually means one size pays for the other.
How often should I update the list?
Check it every season and any time a supplier raises a price. Flour, butter, and packaging move more often than you think. Write the date on the list so you can see how old it is. A list from last year is a guess, not a price.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Your costs and local rules are your own.