You know, baking isn’t that different from art. Both endeavors focus on combining different materials together to create a masterpiece.
So, it’s no wonder people gravitate toward baking. The biggest downside is that, like art, baking materials aren’t always affordable.
That makes sustaining that hobby challenging. That’s where I come in. I’ll cover 7 clever tips for baking on a budget without sacrificing flavor. Let’s get right to it!
1 – Buy Ingredients in Bulk
You probably saw this one coming. Buying ingredients in bulk offers you a more affordable price per unit than buying smaller quantities.
You don’t believe me? How about this: Go to the nearest store and buy one 50-pound flour bag, then five 10-pound bags. You’ll see that the large bag is much cheaper.
Besides saving money, buying in bulk ensures you have all the ingredients you need whenever you feel like baking, even if it’s at three in the morning.
2 – Focus on Simple Ingredients
Yes, buying in bulk may save you money, but it won’t make much of a difference if you’re focusing on expensive, luxurious ingredients. The primary components you need for baking are flour, eggs, baking powder, sugar, butter, oil, and milk.
As long as you stick to simple ingredients, you shouldn’t have any financial trouble, as most of them aren’t that expensive. Sure, saffron, truffles, and vanilla beans are tempting and will take your baked goodies a long way, but you don’t need them to make flavorful pastries.
3 – Target Sales
Why buy baking ingredients at full price when you can buy them at a discount? Stores and supermarkets run discounts several times throughout the year.
Keeping a close eye on these offers can help you snatch all the baking ingredients you need when they go on sale. As I previously established, you can buy your ingredients in bulk and save them in your freezer/shelves. That would save you more money in the long run.
4 – Hit the Local Market
It’s common knowledge that local stores tend to be more affordable than big chains/supermarkets.
So, don’t hesitate to pay your local store a visit. Not only will that help you save money, but it’ll also allow you to support small businesses. It’s two birds with one stone.
5 – Embrace Substitutes
Look, if the past couple of years have taught us anything, it’s that the world is unpredictable. No one can tell what prices will be like in a few weeks/months.
So, if one of your coveted ingredients becomes too expensive, it might be time to look for a substitute that does a similar job to that ingredient.
Substitutes aren’t always cheaper, but you have a variety of options to choose from. So, pick the one that fits your budget.
I know what you’re thinking: “What kind of substitutes can I use? And how effective are they?” Well, let’s say butter has become too expensive. You can replace it with bananas. They have a creamy, buttery texture and add a lot of moisture, exactly like butter.
What about eggs? We all know their prices are getting out of control. You can easily replace them with yogurt.
It doesn’t have the same leavening effect, but its fat content enhances the flavor of the other ingredients in your batter. So, rest assured it’ll give you a flavorful pastry.
6 – Keep Your Food Waste to a Minimum
If you’re on a budget, you want to keep your food waste to a minimum. I’d argue that you shouldn’t waste food at all.
Have your grapes gone overripe? No problem! You can incorporate them into your cake batter to add a new fruity flavor. What if you still have leftover cake scraps from the last baking session?
You can use these scraps to make cake pops. They’ll be just as delicious, and you’ll have saved money by minimizing food waste. Ultimately, you want to use each ingredient/material you have to its full potential.
7 – Skip the Egg Wash
If you don’t know, egg wash is an egg mixture that you brush the surface of your pastries with to give them a nice brown color. It’s a simple step, but it does wonders.
As influential as it is, it’s a dispensable step that you can do without. As I previously established, eggs aren’t cheap nowadays.
Mixing one or two eggs for the sole purpose of brushing them on pastries seems like a waste of money and resources. You can use milk or cream, and they’ll offer similar results.
If you insist on using eggs, you can at least keep the wash and use it to make scrambled eggs later.
Final Thoughts
There you go! 7 clever tips for baking on a budget without sacrificing flavor. It’s not that hard, right?
Ultimately, it all comes down to what ingredients to use, when to buy them, and how to make the most of them. If you follow the previous steps, you’ll make delicious, fulfilling pastries without breaking your wallet.
Sarah is the founder of Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog sharing guides, tips, and recipes for those learning how to bake. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, she spent much of her childhood learning the basics in a local bakery.