Choose Easter stollen if you’d like a sweet, shareable loaf to take centre stage on the table. Bake-at-home rolls or baguettes are a good fit for a brunch with a variety of toppings, provided you have the time and oven space to prepare them just before serving. If you’re looking for a less sweet bread and keeping an eye on fibre, consider wholemeal bread. Whichever you choose, check the ingredients and allergens for the specific product.
A shareable Easter stollen is ideal for breakfast, brunch or coffee. According to PLUS, a classic stollen is a currant loaf filled with almond paste. Bear in mind that this sweet bread won’t go with every savoury dish.
Bake-at-home rolls are a good choice if you’d like to serve warm bread. Check in advance how much preparation and oven space your chosen rolls will need.
Compare the ingredients and nutritional information if wholemeal status or a specific dietary preference matters to you. For non-prepacked bread, ask directly for allergen information, especially if you’re buying for someone with an allergy.
First decide whether you want a sweet touch, warm bread to serve with toppings, or a less sweet base. Then check how it needs to be prepared and look at the product-specific ingredient information.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sweet bread to share | Check the filling and choose a size that suits the number of people you’re serving. | If I want to share one sweet loaf at breakfast or with coffee, it needs to work alongside the rest of the menu. Around 40% of consumers say this festive bread is their priority. |
| Serving warm | Check whether the bread needs to be defrosted or baked, and how much oven space it will need. | I want to serve warm rolls just before brunch, without their preparation getting in the way of other dishes. For around 30% of consumers, serving them warm is the priority. |
| A less sweet bread | Check whether the bread is labelled wholemeal, and look at the nutritional information if fibre is a consideration. | With savoury toppings, I’d rather have a less sweet bread and want to know whether it really is wholemeal. That’s the main consideration for around 20% of consumers. |
| Allergens and dietary suitability | Read the current label or ask for allergen information when buying non-prepacked bread. | When I’m buying bread for someone with an allergy, I need to be able to check the ingredients of that particular variety. For around 10% of consumers, this check is decisive. |
According to PLUS, classic Easter stollen is sweet and filled with currants and almond paste. That makes it unsuitable as a neutral base for every savoury brunch dish.
Serve table bread, bread rolls or baguettes alongside the stollen if you’re serving cheese, salads or spreads.
A bread’s name doesn’t tell you which allergens are in the current version. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority states that allergen information must also be available for non-prepacked foods.
Read the label on prepacked bread, and ask about allergens before buying fresh, non-prepacked bread.
Bread can lose quality while it’s being stored. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre gives specific storage advice for opened white baguettes; don’t assume the same advice applies to every type of bread.
Buy an amount that suits the number of people you’re serving, plan when to shop, and freeze any bread you won’t use in time, following the appropriate guidance.
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains how iodine can be present in bread through baker’s salt. This doesn’t mean that every loaf is made with this salt.
Check the ingredient information or ask the baker if iodine is relevant to your choice.
Albert Heijn offers a range of breads, including AH Liefde & Passie products, as well as separate Easter bread recipes.
Jumbo shares recipes for a variety of Easter breads, including a gluten-free recipe and braided bread.
Lidl combines Easter brunch ideas and Easter stollen recipes with information about its Deluxe range.
Aldi has an Easter category featuring items such as bread, cakes and puff pastry.
On its Easter page, PLUS features stollen, bake-at-home rolls, baguettes and toast for different moments around the table.
Dirk offers breads such as sourdough, spelt and rye, as well as baguettes and currant buns, alongside search options for Easter bread.
These bread options suit anyone looking for bread to bake at home or a less sweet base to serve alongside Easter dishes. The list doesn’t include Easter stollen; choose that separately if you’d like a sweet, filled loaf to take centre stage.
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For a brunch where you’d like to serve wholemeal bread. This round loaf weighs 550 g. It needs to defrost before baking; check the current packaging for baking instructions.
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For anyone who’d like to bake baguettes at home for brunch. The pack contains four 135 g baguettes; allow time for them to defrost and check the current packaging for baking instructions.
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A 550 g round multigrain loaf to serve with savoury brunch dishes. It needs to defrost before baking. Multigrain doesn’t automatically mean wholemeal, so check the ingredients if that matters to you.
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A 500 g rye bread option for anyone looking for a less sweet base to serve alongside sweet Easter bread. Check the current ingredient and allergen information before choosing it for guests with specific dietary needs.
Ask for allergen information if you’re buying bread for someone with an allergy. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, sellers of non-prepacked foods must inform customers about any allergens present. Ask the seller to check the information for that particular bread.
No, you can’t assume that every loaf does. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that iodine may be present in bread through baker’s salt. Check the ingredient information or ask the baker about the bread you want to buy.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends keeping opened white baguettes in a kitchen cupboard for two to four days, or in the freezer for one to three months. Their quality may decline after that; for other types of bread, follow the relevant storage advice.
Not if you’ve chosen wholemeal bread specifically for its fibre and less sweet flavour. PLUS describes Easter stollen as a sweet, filled bread, while the Netherlands Nutrition Centre includes wholemeal bread and most types of brown bread in the Wheel of Five. You can serve both to suit different tastes and occasions.
A recipe doesn’t tell you exactly what’s in a shop-bought product. Jumbo features a recipe for gluten-free Easter bread, among others, but check the packaging of any ready-made version or ask about the ingredients and allergens if you’re buying non-prepacked bread.
