Review of Aldi Specially Selected Italian Loaf

 

As I get older, I have strayed away from the soft doughy breads when packing sandwiches for lunch. Back in the day, my lunchtime mainstays included cold cuts with cheese, peanut butter, and jelly, and even marshmallow creme “fluffer-nutters”. I would serve up these creations on usually ultra soft Wonderbread or Butternut; sometimes with the crust still on, other times they had to be removed. I have since moved on to more artisan types of breads whether it be oat based, sour dough or a good French or Italian bread. Aldi carries several artisan breads including Specially Selected Italian Loaf. At just about any Aldi the bread section is easy to locate at these items are displayed in plastic pallets packed floor to just about the ceiling. Buns, bread, danish, rolls……. they are all in that same section of the store. I have learned from experience that if you visit the store late in the weekend some of the more premium breads can be scarce. Now, let us dive a little deeper into this bread to see if it measures up.

Packaging

The Aldi Italian bread weighs in at twenty-four ounces and is sold in clear packaging with the black specialty labeling on the front with smaller label indicating the product is non-GMO verified. The black label indicates the bread consists of the main three ingredients of flour, water, and salt. The transparent packaging reveals a golden-brown crust covering this sliced bread which makes it appear very appealing.

Price

The cost of the package of Specialty Selected Italian Loaf is $3.99. In comparison, a sixteen-ounce loaf of sliced Turano Italian bread purchased at the local Jewel is priced $6.99.

 

Convenience

I have purchased Italian bread before and had to slice it myself. My bread cutting is not very straight so I find pre-sliced bread the way to go. What is better than sliced bread? Right? The bread slices or cuts in the package are decent size until you get to the ends or heels. For some reason, the factory cuts the ends to0 thick which makes for some large end pieces that be waste. For situations like this I hand cut the heel to get another slice out of it or diced it up for home made croutons. This loaf of Specialty Selected Italian bread comes with small plastic clip to seal bread package when done using. The expiration is stamped on it also which warrants close attention if your household does not eat sandwiches frequently and keeping bread at room temperature. If using the bread sparingly, you can place it in freezer storage bag for later use.

 

Taste/Texture

If you want to eat this bread straight out of the package, it will hold its own for the first day or two. The bread has a quality Italian bread like semblance as it is flaky, not too yeasty, or doughy in bite, in general a very tasty bread.  However, after day two, the bread does dry up quite a bit and requires the assistance of the toaster or even a grill top to maintain its tastiness. Interestingly, toasting this bread at a light toast setting takes this bread to another level. I enjoy this bread slightly toasted with herb butter or honey butter to accompany a salad or bowl of soup.

 

Overall Result 

If you enjoy a rustic, shiny golden brown crusted Italian bread, then the Specialty Selected Italian loaf is your answer. The bread will get you a few days of good fresh bread; after that you can make incredible toast, grilled cheeses, or paninis. This bread will also save you two to three dollars from the name brand labels. I recommend this one a strong buy.