Baker Uses Aldi’s Cheap Bottled Water to Bake Perfectly Soft Buns — and It Went as Expected

Cooking is incomplete without water. More precisely, the correct type of water. The chemistry of water and its properties greatly influence the taste, texture, and overall experience of the food, as per Southern Scientific Services. A baker, who goes by u/chabaryokucha on Reddit, revealed their pleasant discovery after baking buns with a cheap bottled water brand, Aldi. The person shared a photo of freshly baked fluffy buns placed on an oven tray and claimed the secret ingredient was the water brand. “Buns again, upon the kids’ request. Secret ingredient: Aldi’s cheap bottled water,” the caption stated. 

The buns appeared perfectly fluffy and round, much to a baker’s delight. While baking with such precision does require expertise, the Reddit user credited some of it to Aldi water. Many people were confused about their insinuation and pondered over how water changes the baking process. “I’m not trying to attack you, I’m just genuinely curious: What does the water change in this case? Why Aldi water?” asked u/Big-Guess7567. Replying to that, the poster explained the purpose of soft water in baking bread. “My filtered tap water is still hard water. It’s fine for hard bread like no-knead or baguette, but these soft breads need soft water. I tested with Aldi’s bottled water, my buns are fluffier,” the baker wrote. 

Others agreed to the poster’s suggestion about water chemistry in cooking and baking. “Literally, the main reason people in NYC think they have the best bagels. Water chemistry is everything in baking,” said u/KnearbyKnumbskull, who claimed to be a professional brewer. While u/Bymymothersblessing chimed in, “Totally agree!! I always use filtered or bottled water for yeast breads as our local municipality heavily chlorinates the water; while it helps kill germs to keep water safe, it also retards yeast growth.” Similarly, another comment by u/gypsy_teacher noted they use “filtered water” from their fridge to bake breads and sourdough. 

Naturally, a debate sprouted in the comments with people agreeing and disagreeing on what really influences taste in food. “I think it’s more the heavy competition and culture around these areas that makes the difference,” disagreed u/Shermin-88. u/Red_Patcher stated, “It’s a myth that the water in dough makes any difference in taste or fermentation.” One person (u/godofmediocrity53) had a different perspective from the rest. “The fact that people are using bottled water for baking is making me want to jump off a bridge. I'm sorry, they look great, but amidst an environmental crisis, it's a terrible practice,” the comment added. 

According to a study published on ResearchGate, the mineral content and pH are two major effective properties of water that diffuses into foods, facilitating changes in textural, physical, and chemical compositions. Moreover, the acidity of water also has an effect on the denaturation of protein and starch gelatinization in food products. Particularly in baking, water acts as a solvent, dispersing agent, and hydration agent. It is responsible for kickstarting all the natural chemical processes needed to make dough and its components, per a Tap Score report. Therefore, water quality is likely to have an impact on the final product.