7 Aldi Specially Selected Breads Worth Buying And 4 To Avoid

No grocery trip is complete without good bread, regardless of whether you prefer classic loaves, bagels, or baguettes. You'll find many bread options at just about any grocery store you go to, and budget-friendly favorite Aldi is no exception. Aldi's bread section is pretty impressive, and you'll find various Aldi brands to choose from — but the brand you'll stumble upon the most is Specially Selected.

Aldi offers many bread types under its Specially Selected brand, and there's also lots of variety in those offerings. Looking for sourdough (or about five different flavor variations of sourdough)? You got it. Is brioche more up your alley? Specially Selected has got that covered too. To help narrow down which Specially Selected loaf you should reach for on your next Aldi run, I've purchased and sampled 11 bread options that were available, ranging from classic loaves to baguettes and bagels. After carefully taste testing each bread, I determined which ones are worth buying, and which ones you can leave on the shelf. My buy or avoid criteria came down to the bread's flavor and freshness, texture (because no one likes gummy bread), and whether a given bread had something special or unique that made it stand out among the rest.

I've always been a big fan of multigrain bread because of its rustic appearance, crusty exterior, and a soft, wheat-forward interior. It's not everyone's cup of tea, especially since it tends to be a little heartier and nuttier than, say, the average white bread, but a well-executed multigrain bread is a top-tier option for sandwiches. And, fortunately, Aldi's Specially Selected Bistro Multigrain Bread lived up to my high standards.

What first struck me about this bread is that it had a nice, sturdy texture to it — not hard by any means, just not soft and flimsy. The flavor was just right, offering familiar yeasty notes with a subtle hint of nuttiness and extra wheat, a unique flavor profile that you really can't find with many other options. I also appreciated that the crust wasn't super crusty and that it wasn't positively laden with seeds; there was definitely some seedy textural contrast, but nothing that was going to break a tooth. Overall, this bread had a wheat-forward, fresh flavor with a nice texture that was neither too hard nor too soft. For a store-bought multigrain bread, I don't think you can really ask for much more, so Aldi's take on such flavor is a must-buy in my book.

Sourdough is one of the bread varieties that needs to be freshly baked — either at home or at a bakery — to really be worth it. Obviously, though, not everyone has the time or energy to whip up a freshly baked sourdough loaf on a whim (and let's not even delve into having the sourdough starter ready to go). So, in a pinch, store-bought can fill that bread void.

All that said, I'm not sure that Aldi's Specially Selected Small Batch Sourdough Round is the store-bought sourdough that should fill that void. I understand that store-bought bread can realistically only taste so fresh, but this bread struck me as stale more than anything else (and, no, it wasn't past its expiration date). This sourdough was just a little too lackluster in every department — it was lacking that distinctly crusty-on-the-outside yet chewy-on-the-inside texture. Instead, it was generally too soft, more like an Italian loaf than a tried-and-true sourdough. Also, as the name implies, that distinctly sour flavor profile is pretty essential to a good sourdough, but this one only had a faint tang, resulting in a bread that just felt more meh than anything else. The reality is that you can buy much better sourdough at other grocery stores. Moreover, you can buy better sourdough flavors at Aldi, so the plain version is worth skipping.

There are quite a few delicious mix-ins that transform a standard sourdough loaf, ranging from sweet ones like chocolate chips, honey, and lavender to savory ones like sun-dried tomatoes, garlic herb butter, or cheese. Perhaps one of the most popular sourdough flavor variations (and one of my personal favorites) is jalapeño cheddar, which incorporates spiciness and savoriness to (ideally) take a plain loaf to new heights.

While I wasn't too keen on Aldi's plain sourdough, I found the jalapeño cheddar variation to be a big improvement. Now, I won't say that the texture greatly improved with this one, as I still longed for crustiness and a slightly chewier crumb. The flavor, though, was on-point here — a more distinct sour flavor profile paired well with a pleasantly spicy jalapeño kick and a delightfully cheesy edge provided by the cheddar. I appreciated how the natural sourness from the bread worked both in harmony and contrast with jalapeño and cheddar, resulting in a bake that felt both cohesive and heterogeneous at the same time. If jalapeño and cheddar are two additions you enjoy inside your bread, then this is one Aldi sourdough flavor that is actually worth scooping off the shelf.

We've experienced some true ups and downs on this list in terms of Aldi's sourdough, and unfortunately, the final variation to be featured — Everything Sourdough — isn't one I'd recommend. To be fair, I didn't necessarily dislike this bread or think that it tasted bad, but it just didn't live up to my sourdough standards, and the everything seasoning addition was too half-hearted to even be considered a true flavor enhancer. 

When I see a loaf with a supposed flavor inclusion, I want that flavor to be prominent in just about every single bite. This everything add-in sorely missed the mark in that regard. In fact, the attempt at everything seasoning inclusion was almost laughable. The picture clearly shows just how little seasoning there is on the outside, and with no seasoning incorporated into the dough, you're left with a piece of bread that is more like a nothing sourdough than an everything one. This may not be such an issue if the sourdough itself was really good, but alas, it really wasn't. In fact, both the taste and texture of the bread seemed more like an Italian loaf than sourdough. So, all things considered, I cannot in good faith recommend Aldi's Everything Sourdough to the everything seasoning lover — you will be disappointed by the lack of seasoning.

There's been some debate whether brioche is bread or cake — and, truthfully, I could see the arguments for both. Ultimately, it is a type of bread thanks to the inclusion of yeast, but it definitely has a unique dessert-like quality to it that not all breads can claim. Nothing beats a loaf of freshly baked brioche, but it's one of those varieties that can also be pretty good in store-bought format, and Aldi's Specially Selected brioche is a great example.

As soon as I pulled a slice of this brioche from the package, I could tell that it was going to be tasty. The subtly sweet aroma was there, as was the signature soft texture. The bread had the perfect brioche profile — pleasantly sweet and a little bit yeasty, with some typical brioche richness (since brioche has both eggs and butter in the mix). The texture was my favorite part though, as it was super soft, dense, and almost fluffy — a unique texture combo that truly makes this variety stand out. Although brioche isn't necessarily a super difficult type of bread to make from scratch, Aldi's version is a great option in a pinch, offering quintessential brioche flavors and texture without the fuss.

In my opinion, the only thing that can make brioche better is by playing up that sweetness and dessert-like quality and adding chocolate chips. Aldi's Specially Selected Chocolate Chip Brioche Loaf does just that by taking that classic brioche formula (already proven to be a success) and incorporating chocolate chips for a perfectly sweet, subtly bitter touch.

Not only would this chocolate chip brioche make an amazing french toast, but it's also just simply delicious on its own. Pair it with salted butter to play into the more neutral, bread-like quality, or smear on some Nutella for a full-blown dessert. This bread is surprisingly versatile, given that it definitely is sweet and dessert leaning, and any chocolate lover is sure to enjoy it. I like that there are mini chocolate chips throughout (as opposed to full-sized ones), so it means that you get tiny pops of chocolate with nearly every bite instead of overwhelming chocolatey bursts. So, needless to say, Aldi's Chocolate Chip Brioche is definitely a buy for me — maybe not a buy every single time, but definitely an option when I want something a little more special than the average bread loaf.

Well, the brioche love train couldn't keep chugging along forever, and I'm afraid that Aldi's brioche bagels have landed on the avoid list. Now, it was a bit tough for me to narrow down exactly how I felt about these bagels. On one hand, they certainly don't taste bad. They have that distinctly sweet brioche flavor profile and soft texture, but therein also lies the problem — that's not really what I'm looking for in a good bagel.

While I've proven that I'm obviously a pretty big brioche fan in general, I also don't think that everything needs a brioche variation. Bagel is a variety that has a classic, tried-and-true formula that really doesn't need to be messed with. What I look for in a good bagel is distinct chewiness, shiny crust, and, ideally, a yeasty, sort of malt-like flavor profile. Unsurprisingly, these brioche bagels didn't hit any of those notes, as they just tasted like brioche bread in a bagel shape. And, hey, I'm sure there's someone out there who might like that, but for anyone who's looking for a more traditional bagel, these aren't going to deliver. I sampled these bagels both untoasted and toasted, and while I enjoyed the toasted version better, I still wouldn't reach for these brioche bagels during my next Aldi run.

Naan — not to be mistaken for paratha or the similarly shaped pita — is a staple bread in Indian cuisine. The traditional way of making naan involves cooking it in a tandoor, but unless you've got such a specialty oven in your kitchen, then either restaurant or store-bought naan will have to do. Aldi's Specially Selected Mini Naan is marketed as a tandoor-baked product, and while nothing is ever going to beat that impeccable restaurant-quality naan, it's a pretty solid store-bought alternative.

Although naan can come in different flavor variations (like garlic or cilantro), plain naan doesn't have a super strong flavor all on its own, aside from expected bready, yeasty notes and some subtle tanginess. I think Aldi's naan really nailed this subtle flavor profile, resulting in a tasty flatbread that would pair exceptionally well with curry. The texture was also on point here — one that was distinctly chewy and tender. I tried untoasted and toasted versions, and truthfully, it was equally delicious both ways. While I wouldn't necessarily keep these mini naan stocked to eat on their own, I think they're definitely worth picking up when you know that you have a curry night in your near future.

I love good Italian bread, mainly due to its versatility and somewhat neutral (but still tasty) flavor profile. A type of bread I'm less keen on is the take and bake bread, a sort of grocery store specialty that supposedly provides that freshly baked flair without having to actually make, knead, and bake it. Instead, take and bake loaves are fully baked and in reality ready to eat as-is, but you need to pop it in the oven for about 10 minutes to supposedly end up with a soft yet crisp-crusted loaf.

The biggest reason why I'm not a fan of these loaves was proven once again by Aldi's take and bake Italian bread: The interior is just too doughy. I followed the instructions and baked it for 12 to 14 minutes. To its credit, the outside had a nice crust after all was said and done. The inside was just too soft for my liking. It had a gummy-like texture that's not typically associated with a soft, fresh-baked bread. The flavor was okay, so I can't really complain there, but I can't see myself returning to this bread again (or recommending anyone else to buy it, for that matter). Ultimately, baking the bread is an inconvenience that the final product doesn't make up for.

Fear not, Italian bread lovers — Aldi's Specially Selected brand has a good Italian bread in its lineup, but it's not the take and bake one. Instead, if you're looking for an everyday, simple Italian loaf to rely on, this Italian option is the one to reach for. 

Unlike the take and bake Italian bread, which has an overly soft (to the point of being gummy) texture, the inside of this loaf is just right: Perfectly tender yet chewy. The best way to describe the texture of this Italian loaf is ... bread; it's just bready, but in a way that anyone can appreciate. The flavor is very neutral, which is another strong suit. It's slightly yeasty but overall very mild, meaning that this bread would be just as tasty toasted and slathered in butter and honey, but it would also make an amazing base for a grilled cheese sandwich. Thanks to its versatility, chewy texture, and mild flavor profile, I can safely recommend Aldi's Italian Loaf as a good option to keep stocked for general snacking and everyday use.

Yes, yes, I know — I spent plenty of time griping over Aldi's take and bake Italian bread, but I finally met my match with the French baguette. One of Aldi's take and bake varieties, this French baguette was much more successful, resulting in a bread that I truly think is worth checking out.

The first thing that struck me about Aldi's French baguette (take and bake attributes aside) was how large it was, so you're at least getting bang for your buck with this one. After I baked a portion of the bread and gave it a try, I was pleased to discover that it didn't have that gummy or overly chewy texture that was present in the Italian bread. Instead, the baguette tasted very, well, baguette-like, featuring that distinctly soft yet dense crumb and crispy crust. I only wish that the outside got a touch crustier (although I probably could have baked it for a few more minutes longer). Overall, I was pretty pleased with this one. I'm not sure if the smaller loaf fared better in the take and bake format or if the baguette simply has a better formula, but whatever the case, I would recommend this bread to any baguette lover out there.

Most breads on this list were ready to eat as-is, so I sampled them as such — straight from the package. The two take and bake options called for baking the bread further, so I followed package instructions to do so before sampling those options. Then there were bagels and naan, two varieties that certainly could be eaten as-is but would perhaps fare better slightly warmed up or toasted. So, for those two, I sampled them both ways. Basically, with each bread, I tried it in a way that I felt would allow the bread to shine and live up to its fullest potential. I sampled each bread over the course of a few days, so that I could revisit each one and get a better feel for the various flavors (without needing to tap out due to bread fatigue).

As for what I looked for in a successful loaf, it came down to taste and texture. I paid attention to whether a given bread generally tasted good, but I only recommended it if I felt it lived up to the type of bread it was supposed to be. The two brioche loaves excelled, whereas the plain sourdough and brioche bagels fell a bit short. Finally, texture was a big component, and I tried to be fair (and realistic, since this is store-bought bread after all) about bread's textural achievement. I didn't consider prices as a factor since all of these breads fell into a generally similar price range.