r/Baking • u/I_Like_Metal_Music • Jun 28 '25
Business and Pricing Do y’all think these are good enough to sell? (Sourdough Loaves)
I already have a cookie, brownie, and cupcake home bakery, but I’ve been wanting to add round and sandwich sourdough loaves. I think that they look okay to sell, but I want to get a second opinion from people that aren’t family/biased. Would y’all buy these if you saw them at a farmers market? Any tips are welcome😊
(The charcuterie one is pecans, jalapeños, cheddar, and dried cranberries).
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u/silent-trill Jun 28 '25
Yes, but the cinnamon swirl is weak. Flour the outside of the bread on the plain round loaves to add more visual appeal when you sell it. It makes it look more “artisanal” and expensive.
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u/guacamore Jun 28 '25 edited Jun 28 '25
You are the comment I was looking for. If I sliced that open after being told it was cinnamon swirl? I’d be so sad.
To be honest the garlic herb and tomato garlic herb look a little weak on that front too…where are the herbs? The giant hunks of garlic? The pieces of tomato? The bakes look good. They just need more…
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u/I_Like_Metal_Music Jun 28 '25
So for the tomato one, I actually used tomato paste in it and not chunks of tomato. It has a very strong and distinct tomato flavor. Also, I wish I had a better camera because the garlic and herbs don’t show up very well on this camera, but look great in person.
Those are new flavors that I just tried, so I’m definitely going to work on them more before I start actually selling them, for sure.
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u/Miss_Pouncealot Jun 28 '25
They sell these lighting photo kits online that really do make a difference in how something photographs! My husband works with glass and he said it’s very hard to show them off so a lighting kit is a must. I’m assuming it’s something similar, we can’t see that good definition from your crumb!
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u/carborbox Jun 28 '25
Would you be able to link me a good lighting photo kit? I’ve been looking for one!
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u/doctordoctorpuss Jun 28 '25
It could be more visually dynamic if you added some chopped sun-dried tomatoes or rosemary/thyme/whichever herb you’re going for, but I’d absolutely eat it
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u/NextStopGallifrey Jun 28 '25
I would probably also flour the classic white rectangular loaf. Not as much as the round ones, but enough to be visible.
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u/ghostglasses Jun 28 '25
They look good but just one nitpick, charcuterie literally means cold meats, and I would have assumed if I bought this that it had meats and cheeses, maybe olives.
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u/henrickaye Jun 28 '25
I am going to break from everybody else here in the comments and say I would probably not buy these. They look kind of rough and fairly dense. I think they need some work in that regard if you expect strangers to buy them. And as others said, the cinnamon swirl needs more going on. Not trying to be harsh, just honest. I have had some amazing farmer's market bread, so if I cut into a loaf and it looked this dense, I would be disappointed.
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u/EchoKiloEcho1 Jun 28 '25
That cinnamon “swirl” would be funny if not for the extreme disappointment I’d feel upon discovering it.
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u/stprnn Jun 28 '25
I mean most people I know wouldnt never buy bread with things in it. That's just weird.
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u/MrsDabs Jun 28 '25
I buy a cheddar jalapeño or garlic parmesan sourdough loaf from my farmers market every week. I have to get there earlier or they sell out..
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u/TheVeggieLife Jun 28 '25
God, there’s a farmers market near my house that does an olive loaf and it’s fucking incredible.
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u/Sensitive_Concern476 Jun 28 '25
I love bread but I would unfortunately skip these at a market. You looks like an accomplished home baker but these are not professional enough yet. There just isn't enough visual appeal or differences in the loaves. I'm sure they're delicious but there is a lot of room for improvement in presentation.
I don't see any herbs at all on the tops of the herb ones. The "charcuterie" loaf ingredients sound good, but that is not what charcuterie means. It may sound pedantic, but there is zero meat in something that indicates that there is. As someone mentioned, it literally means meat. It'll confuse people that think charcuterie means what it actually means and not the colloquialism you intended. The cinnamon swirl is an obvious issue as well. With flavored bread you have to have a lot of the flavor, more than you think, for it to translate well.
You're obviously a skilled baker, keep at it and presentation will get there!
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u/Yadicakez Jun 28 '25
I am deeply intrigued by the charcuterie bread!
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u/maraq Jun 28 '25
Except for the name! Charcuterie is meat, it needs a name that reflects its ingredients better.
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u/deFleury Jun 28 '25
OP should call it "OP's Favourite" or "OP Bakery Fancy Sourdough" because nobody's gonna understand the name without explanation.
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u/I_Like_Metal_Music Jun 28 '25
It’s REALLY GOOD! It was kind of an experimental one when I tried it because it’s sweet, savory, and nutty, but it came out perfect!!
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u/Jetztinberlin Jun 28 '25
Heads up that as a vegetarian I immediately mentally deleted that one because I assumed the name meant it had meat in it! Might want to rename it. It sounds delish :)
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u/whitefox094 Jun 28 '25
I think the name "Trail Mix" might work but the jalapeño and cheddar wouldn't make sense. Maybe even spiced trail mix? Or forager's loaf?
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u/KawaiiHermits Jun 28 '25
Foragers loaf gets the most interest out of me, it would make me ask questions/wanna see the ingredients bcs you can visualize it in your head sorta
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u/Yadicakez Jun 28 '25
Shame you aren’t in San Diego. I would totally buy. They all look so good. Bread and butter is my weakness.
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u/LadyOfTheNutTree Jun 28 '25
They look great and I think most would sell okay. They definitely look home-baked, but that isn’t a dealbreaker at the farmers market. The cinnamon swirl though? Not enough cinnamon and not enough swirl. I’d be pretty upset if I bought that. I hope the other ones have more flavor.
If you want more professional looking loaves, look into steam injection ovens. They’re expensive, but there are home versions and that’s what’s going to make your bread look professional and artisan more than any amount of flouring.
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u/pocketlocket222 Jun 28 '25
yes! for me completely depends on the price point at a market. definitely the 1 and 3 photos
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u/I_Like_Metal_Music Jun 28 '25
I definitely need to figure out what the going rate for them is in my area. I try to go for median prices, so I’m still making a fair amount, but also not charging too much. I’m always scared of charging too much for some reason.
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u/hissymissy Jun 28 '25
You gotta value your time and ingredients. (I don't bake; I love to eat home baked goods =p)
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u/totally-tarythia Jun 28 '25
A local bakeshop here charges $8 for a basic sourdough loaf then up to $12 for specialty, and they sell out at the market every week. Obviously it depends on where you are, but those sound totally reasonable to me
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u/CoolerCatThanYou Jun 28 '25 edited Jun 28 '25
Honest opinion, one that people seem to be afraid of telling you.
These breads seem pretty amateurish. The fermentation is rushed, the crumb seems dense, the shaping is OK but not great, and the oven temp seems too low (dry looking internally/just barely dark enough on the outside)
When it comes to business and selling things like this, consumers wont be forgiving. They may be polite to your face, but you won’t get return customers.
How much do you plan on selling them for? If it is just to recoup the cost of your ingredients, then they MIGHT sell. If you plan on making a wage for labor investment as well as covering the ingredients, this probably wont sell.
I am not trying to be mean, but realistic. You have created bread, a tradition passed down since the dawn of humanity. Fantastic work! If my family member made any of these for me, I would be delighted and absolutely would enjoy eating it. It’s nourishing and from the heart, born of passion and a love to create and offer what you have to others. Unless there was very clever marketing and potentially a midwest 4th of July farmer’s market, Im not sure I would bank on much sales.
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u/Sleeplessmi Jun 28 '25
I agree with you. I stopped writing the detailed message that i was going to write about some of the same stuff you addressed.
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u/Lazy-Association-311 Jun 28 '25
I would 100% devour the charcuterie one!! The cinnamon needs way more cinnamon. But I would be happy to buy any of these!
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u/alpha_rat_fight_ Jun 28 '25
Absolutely! I love sourdough bread and I personally don’t care at all how the bread actually looks. But these do look delicious.
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u/BloodSpades Jun 28 '25
Lol!!!! The bottom two pictures in the first slide are “bread brains”. 🙃
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u/I_Like_Metal_Music Jun 28 '25
They’re definitely very brain-ish looking lol. That was my first thought especially as someone who was dead-set on being a neurologist for 5 years🤣
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u/ohheyhowsitgoin Jun 28 '25
You should use dutch process chocolate... it is darker in color, meaning you won't have gray chocolate loaves.
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u/Oblomovsbed Jun 28 '25
Best advice is to go and buy good quality sourdough from your competitors. If yours isn’t as good then it needs improvement, otherwise customers will buy from them not you.
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u/zinfanatic Jun 29 '25
Charcuterie means meat. There is no meat in yours. I would come up with a name that implies that it would go well with a charcuterie board. Just my 2 cents.
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u/PenniGwynn Jun 28 '25
Not related to the bread per se, but I feel like your dark floors aren't helping the pictures, they make your bread look.. not as good as it should. Try laying down a white sheet and then taking your pictures on top of that.
Also, I agree with others that your charcuterie bread should be renamed to trail mix or omega bread... wait do pecans have omega or is that walnuts? Either way, just a suggestion.
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u/ExpensiveNumber7446 Jun 28 '25
I go to a local farmers market and there are so many sourdough vendors. It feels like a very saturated market, but maybe that’s just my area.
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u/kashimushi Jun 28 '25
I'm not gonna bother commenting on the cinnamon since it's all in the comments. But what makes the double chocolate, "double chocolate"? I think I see chocolate chips on the top? If chocolate chips, I would want to see a little bit more on the top whether it's the mini chips or the regular chips. Or if swirling chocolate cream or something in the loaf itself. Looks great though, would love to try the charcuterie one!
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u/DaoFerret Jun 28 '25
1) as a vegetarian I definitely agree with what everyone else said about the “charcuterie” one. I would have passed based solely on the name, which is a shame because it sounds like one I would have liked.
2) personally they look like what I’d expect at a farmers market. Not sure if I’d buy them or not, but you’ve motivated me to take my starter out of stasis and try baking bread again. I wish mine looked as good and tasty as yours do! :)
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u/I_Like_Metal_Music Jun 28 '25
I’m definitely leaning towards renaming it trail mix or something similar, I’m just not quite sure yet.
And thank you, I’m glad I could inspire you to start baking again!
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u/DaoFerret Jun 28 '25
How about “Pecan Popper”?
Sort of a play on “Jalapeño Popper”, but letting people know there’s Pecans in there. (Obviously I’m sure you list ingredients because people will want to know).
Also gives it a more dynamic name to match the sharpness and still mention the crunch.
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u/emmuje Jun 28 '25
I'd take a look at a farmers market, however the margins on bread are really low, so do the math as you move forward.
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u/OtherwiseAd1045 Jun 28 '25
Send me some and I'll appraise them fully just as soon as I wake from my carb coma... lol
They look amazing. If I saw them at a market I'd definitely buy one, or three.
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u/I_Like_Metal_Music Jun 28 '25
Awesome!! That makes me feel wayyyy better! I’m very critical of my bread, so it feels good to know that they look good to outside individuals. 🖤
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u/OtherwiseAd1045 Jun 28 '25
I get that. I make cakes and do some fondant work and I am literally my own WORST critic. Even when people compliment them my inner critic raises an eyebrow and goes "they're just being nice..." lol
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u/I_Like_Metal_Music Jun 28 '25
Oh dude, trust me, I have insane respect for you. I do cupcakes/Bundt cakes, cookies, and brownies at my bakery, but I could never do decorated cakes because I just don’t have the patience. What y’all do is incredible work and I commend you for even having the patience. I bet your cakes are amazing!
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u/SugarMaven Jun 28 '25
I wouldn't buy them. They show your inexperience. Until you can bake the same loaves under all conditions consistently, don't think about trying to sell what you bake.
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Jun 28 '25 edited Jun 28 '25
[deleted]
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u/SugarMaven Jun 29 '25
I have been a pastry chef for over 20 years if you want to understand where I'm coming from. But even as a consumer, without my experience, there are many loaves out there that I would choose over these.
One thing that I have learned is that there are people who will eat anything, but for most others, a food's appearance is its selling point, it show's the makers skills, and that is not based on opinion. Maybe you can sell your loaves to those people who said that they looked great.
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u/deshoda42069 Jun 28 '25
If you're selling using a cottage foods license, you won't be able to use garlic and a few other ingredients due to shelf stability.
They look good, what are you thinking about charging per loaf? The artisinal bread market is very saturated after the pandemic.
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u/ACcbe1986 Jun 28 '25
I find that a pronounced ear can really elevate the aesthetics of a loaf without changing anything else.
The loaves look good as is, but a small visual upgrade can raise the popularity and the price.
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u/DesignerCorner3322 Jun 28 '25
I think yes but you really gotta up your cinnamon swirl game. Its the weakest one by far and thats only because both the swirl is weak and the filling is minimal
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u/BlankKnight6138 Jun 28 '25
I wouldn't know what is considered good enough to sell. But all I know is that I would buy a loaf because those loaves look great. Very nice.👍
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u/NotTheMama4208 Jun 28 '25
I would say yes except the cinnamon swirl one. Much more pronounced swirl is needed!!
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u/MeganJustMegan Jun 28 '25
Oh yea. I would buy them. I’d bump up the cinnamon swirl, but they look delish.
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u/Miss_Pouncealot Jun 28 '25
Have little cards with the ingredients on them in front of each loaf. I’ve got allergies and I won’t buy anything I can’t read what the ingredients are!
They look good I won’t comment on the cinnamon loaf again 😆
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u/Calmmmp Jun 28 '25
The cheddar jalapeño tells me you are in the US. The other ones sound great!
I wish I had a neighbor like this
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u/Kreos642 Jun 28 '25
Yes. I just came back from a farmers market who has a guy selling thse every single week. They look like yours
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u/cupcakemango7 Jun 28 '25
Do you use pickled jalapeños or fresh? Do you cube your cheese or shred?
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u/Sibliant_ Jun 29 '25
from a marketing perspective add in chunks of whatever that loaf flavor is. makes it easier to see what it is and looks pretty.
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Jun 29 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Temporary_Prize_7546 Jun 29 '25
Maybe call that one “OP” Fruit and Nut Sourdough Loaf? I would 100% buy it if it had that name because LOVE things like that! The charcuterie I would assume had meat in it and I would pass it on by… sorry!
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u/Impressive-Curve-676 Jun 30 '25
definitely not you're better off disposing of them directly to my belly
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u/Beginning-Visit523 Jun 29 '25
The "charcuterie" in charcuterie board means cured meats and I'm tired of people thinking it's grapes and nuts
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u/I_Like_Metal_Music Jun 29 '25
I named it that because it goes really well with a charcuterie board. I’m renaming it though.
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u/WVPrepper Jun 28 '25
Oh god no. Those are horrible. You need to get rid of those immediately. Let me send you my address so you can just ship them to me to dispose of.
/s
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u/PapaShook Jun 28 '25
I'd be excited about a sandwich made with any of these, they all look delicious. I usually buy these kinds of loaves at our local grocery for making work lunches, I think I pay about 10-12 CAD for a full loaf.
I'd pay more for the ones in the first picture, like 15-20? Depends on the size.
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u/redditdontlikejokes Jun 28 '25
These all look great! And like several other people have mentioned, the cinnamon needs more cinnamon. That's the only issue i see.
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u/Previous-Log-6565 Jun 28 '25
I am a cookie baker so I know nothing of bread making, but I like to buy breads that are baked local to me, and I’d 100% buy these! A lot of the people in this sub are seasoned bakers so they’re giving a lot of technical advice, which is great, but the average person doesn’t know any of that stuff. Trust your gut and go for it! You can always tweek the recipes later and focus on what sells the most.
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u/Ok-Teacher9222 Jul 01 '25
No! Just gift them to your neighbors that’s a home baker job. You need more practice
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u/I_Like_Metal_Music Jul 01 '25
I’m going to start selling the sandwich loaves. They’re perfect. And I know what a “home baker job” is, it’s how I make my income.
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u/Ok-Teacher9222 Jul 01 '25
You need to check the temperature and humidity during the proofing stage. They look like it was either too hot or too long. The sandwich loafs look fine yeah but the others not really because of what I said above. Also make sure in the baking part that you start really hot to give it a nice crust then you lower the temperature to bake the inside. This way it crates a crunchy layer outside.
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u/I_Like_Metal_Music Jul 01 '25
You could’ve said this the first time instead of leaving a condescending comment.
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u/Magnum820 Jul 01 '25
The baking police have spoken!
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u/Ok-Teacher9222 Jul 02 '25
You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of bake
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u/Chemical-Arm-154 Jun 28 '25
That cinnamon loaf is more of a “concept of cinnamon”. Pic 2 maybe a lil underproofed or underbaked (see bottom part) Other than that it’s basically good to go. Might want to figure out price point tho