Costco Rustic Italian Bread (Kirkland) Review
Author’s Note: These are my own crusty opinions. I have no affiliation with Costco.
One good ear, like Van Gogh.
Blimey! This is this a huge loaf. YUGE, I say. The label said 2 pounds, but I weighed mine at home at 2.25 pounds.
I’m already an ardent fan of Italian-style bread. I previously reviewed Aldi’s Take & Bake Italian Bread, which I loved. I’ve since purchased (but not yet reviewed) Publix Italian Bread, which was, er, different? Since I enjoyed Costco’s Sourdough Loaf and Baguettes, I was excited to try their take on Italian bread, too. Here’s the scoop:
The crust is pleasantly crusty, without being excessively hard or thick. Although the bread inside is pale and soft, it has a moderately dense texture, the way most Italian bread does. It wasn’t as “chewy” as other Italian breads I’ve tried.
The flavor was different from what I expected. It has a distinct salty taste and sort of a pasta flavor, which I realized later is probably from the semolina and durum wheat — the same wheat commonly used to make pasta. More about the ingredients later.
The slices are pretty big, especially in the very center of the loaf. The longest slices were about 7.5 inches long. I appreciate that this bread has only small holes — no gaping craters. And, not so many cavities that my sandwich ingredients fall out before I take a bite!
I bought this bread to make sandwiches. And sandwiches I made. Many sandwiches. A full week of huge sandwiches. And some buttered toast. And some bread and jam. But mostly sandwiches. This is Costco’s Oven Browned Turkey Breast, which I reviewed here.
Although Costco’s Italian Bread is salty and savory, it still tastes appropriate with sweet jam. This is blackberry fruit spread from Aldi.
If you are wondering how I toast my bread, I like to pan-toast mine. I melt a little butter in a skillet and let the bread brown on both sides before serving. To me, it tastes far superior to toaster-toast.
Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure having a larger loaf to eat just tricked me into eating more bread, faster. This bread didn’t last any longer at my house than a typical 1-pound loaf. Alas.
Bread aesthetics matter. Costco has created a beautiful loaf. The surface is scored and has a lovely, crisp, raised “ear.” The dusting of white flour creates an eye-catching contrast.
The outside is richly browned, and the bottom has a textured, coarse flour coating. This looks like something that would come from a legit boutique bakery, not a super-mega-mart. Props.
When chilled, the bread is firmer and can be sliced into thinner slices. This is the thinnest I was able to cut mine, using my sharpest serrated bread knife. I got this bad boy from IKEA, if you are wondering. (You probably weren’t wondering.)
Ingredients in Costco Rustic Italian Loaf
Here are the ingredients from the label:
- Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid)
- Water
- Sour Culture
- Durum Flour
- Contains 2% or less of the following: Wheat Starch, Salt, Semolina, Sugar, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Yeast, Yeast Extract, Barley Flour, Enzymes, Ascorbic Acid
Pretty good list. Nothing scary. It’s nice to see “sour culture” for leavening/flavor, although there is also commercial yeast for leavening. This is sometimes called “hybrid sourdough.”
Nutrition Facts in Costco Kirkland Italian Bread
There are supposed to be 18 servings per loaf. Did I get 18 servings? No. I must have eaten more than 2 servings per day. The bread lasted me exactly 1 week, although I did make one sammich for my sister. I ate too much bread!
Anyway. A 2 ounce serving has 120 calories. There are 4 grams of protein, and 0.5 grams of fat per serving. You also get 24 grams of carbohydrates, of which 1 gram is fiber and 1 gram is sugar. There’s a hearty 8% of your daily value of iron per serving, and 12% of your daily value of sodium.
Price and Servings
The 32 ounce loaf cost $5.99 at my local Costco. Since there are 18 servings per loaf, each serving is about 33 cents. Per pound, this bread costs $3. Per ounce, it is 19 cents.
While the cost per pound is less than other grocery-store bakery breads, it isn’t an enormous difference. And you have to buy twice as much at once.
Since bread is objectively better quality when it is fresh, this isn’t an item that makes sense to buy unless you can truly eat it all within a few days. Otherwise, it seems logical to spend slightly more and buy smaller loaves at other stores.
I would have a different opinion if the savings were dramatic, but they just aren’t. Sorry, Costco!
Shelf-Life
The sell-by date on my loaf was dated for 2 days after purchase. I kept this bread in my refrigerator for 1-week. Although the bread tasted slightly stale when cold, it revived to a fresher taste when warmed or toasted.
The bread bag has a plastic window with tiny holes in it to prevent soggy crusts. This is nice, but the bread needs to be taken out when you get home and stored in another bag or container, to prevent it from drying out and becoming rock hard.
Other similar bread varieties from Costco include:
- Rosemary Parmesan
- Multigrain
Dramatic Conclusion
This bread is gorgeous. Although it wasn’t my favorite Italian Bread, I enjoyed it. The texture is perfect for sammiches. It offers a small savings per pound. I would buy this for a family gathering where it would be promptly eaten by many stomachs.
The End.
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Check out a few other bread reviews I’ve written:
