{"id":135,"date":"2024-01-10T01:04:02","date_gmt":"2024-01-10T01:04:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/squarespace.joannawhiteart.com\/wp\/2024\/01\/10\/aldi-italian-bread-take-n-bake-review\/"},"modified":"2025-03-28T12:33:34","modified_gmt":"2025-03-28T16:33:34","slug":"aldi-italian-bread-take-n-bake-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/2024\/01\/10\/aldi-italian-bread-take-n-bake-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Aldi Italian Bread Take & Bake (Specially Selected) Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Author\u2019s note: I have no affiliation with <\/em>Aldi<\/em><\/a>, and I wasn\u2019t compensated in any way for this review.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maddeningly delicious.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This bread made me so mad. I write a snarkle-blog where I sarcastically tell you what is wrong with food. And I couldn\u2019t do that with this bread. It was just good<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It has no business being this good. Hmmph!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyway, if you haven\u2019t tried this before, it\u2019s essentially a bread that you finish baking at home. I heard about it from some Aldi fans online who were complaining<\/em> because they didn\u2019t realize the bread required additional preparation prior to serving \u2014 and so they tried to serve it right out of the bag, and\u2026it was awful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I might<\/em> have been confused by this as well, because this bread is sold next to all the other \u201cfresh\u201d (bagged) Aldi bakery bread items, and \u201cTake & Bake\u201d is printed kind of small on the bag. I couldn\u2019t find any other \u201cTake & Bake\u201d breads there, just this one. It\u2019s an outlier.*<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyway. You have to bake it. Otherwise it\u2019s a flabby, stale disappointment. Here\u2019s what mine looked like before baking:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And here\u2019s what it looked like after baking:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The bag suggested cooking for additional minutes for a crisper crust, and I did that. My result was an impressively<\/em> crispy crust. It would pass the infamous \u201cknock test<\/a>.\u201d The bread changed only slightly in color after I baked it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a beautiful loaf. Look at it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

But what really impressed me is how soft and tender the bread is inside. My pictures do not do this bread justice. The texture is elastic and strong, with a beautiful fluffiness. It\u2019s a moist, flavorful crumb. There\u2019s just right right amount of satisfying chewiness. This tastes better than many \u201cfreshly baked\u201d bakery breads I\u2019ve tried. And it came out of a dang bag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am gobsmacked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I love the crusty-crust. It\u2019s just chewy enough to be satisfying, without becoming too<\/em> obstinate. The contrast of the exterior crispness with the super-softness of the bread inside is lovely. The slices are structural, with irregular holes. This is a hearty bread that is filling, but not \u201cheavy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Even the bottom of this loaf looks artisanal and home made. This is how mine looked without any alterations from me \u2014 it had the rustic floured look right out of the bag. Traditionally, Italian bread<\/a> is cooked in a stone oven to obtain this kind of super crispy crust. There\u2019s no way I would have guessed this<\/em> came from a bargain grocery chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I enjoyed mine with a bowl of Aldi Lentil & Chickpea soup. Well, I ate<\/em> the soup, but didn\u2019t completely<\/em> enjoy it. I partially enjoyed it. I tried. You can read my review of it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Baking<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How to Cook<\/strong> Aldi Italian Take & Bake Bread<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I baked mine on parchment paper at 375 for a total of 18 minutes. The bag suggests 10-12 minutes, with an additional 2-5 minutes \u201cfor crisper crust.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who doesn\u2019t<\/em> want a crisper crust? Who are<\/em> you? We\u2019ll get you help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are also instructions for baking if your bread is frozen. Unfortunately, this means you have to thaw it for an hour first. But, at least freezing is an option. It would be beyond fabulous if Aldi came up with a \u201cbake-from-frozen\u201d bread option like this. You know, something you take right out of your freezer and pop in the oven before serving. I like the stability of knowing I have bread ready at my beck and call \u2014 I never know what<\/em> will be available at my local Aldi, and I don\u2019t want to go there on a day I need bread and not<\/em> get some. I want it tucked away in my freezer. Safe, and predictable, in my freezer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ok, I\u2019m rambling. But, you know. We want this. We really do.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Nutrition<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Nutrition Facts<\/strong> and Price<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are 8 servings per 16-ounce loaf (I think I got more servings than that?) of 140 calories each. You\u2019ll get 5 grams of protein and 0.5 grams of fat per serving, plus 1 gram of fiber. Zero grams of sugar. That means I can have dessert, too. Yay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My loaf cost $3.79. I thought this was a bit expensive before I tried it. I still kind of think so, but I also want more,<\/em> and will definitely pay up. Aldi\u2019s got us over a barrel now. Curses!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ingredients<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ingredients<\/strong> in Aldi Italian Bread<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Here are the ingredients:<\/p>\n\n\n\n