I'm going to assume this relates to your other post
ISO Best Italian Bread Recipe so will attempt to address it from that standpoint.
Bread and AP flour generally cost about the same, per brand. For example my Alberton's store brand (which would be your Jewel-Osco) is about $1/5-lb bag - the same as their AP. Pillsbury is $1.69, slightly less than their AP, and Gold Medal "Better for Bread" is $2.29 (same as their AP), and King Arthur runs about $3.69 for a 3/lb bag. So you're looking at between about 20-cents to $1.25 per pound depending on brand.
The follow links are from a very informative site:
The Artisan (lots of info and recipes) - but below are from their
Bread Basics section.
Yes, the flour does make a difference - but that's something you may have to experiment with and work around. AP flours vary
greatly from region to region - and producer to producer, by region. Same with bread flours, but not as much as AP flours since they are not blends. It's a simple question that doesn't have a simple answer. Check out
The Flour Test so see what I'm talking about. The theory that the greater the protein % the better the bread fell apart here.
The Flour Treatise is also interesting reading.
Getting a thick crispy "cut the inside of your mouth to shreds" crust is probably less to do with the flour than with the oven environment and a "wash/glaze". While the flour will greatly influence the inside - the baking environment is going to largly dictate the outcome of the crust. You might check
Oven Humidity & Simulation of a Professional Oven to get some ideas.
I hope subfuscpersona and Goodweed see this and add their experienced views.