For your first dinner party, choose a white artisan loaf if you’re looking for a firm texture and crisp crust. Par-baked bread is a good choice if you want to finish baking it just before the meal and have an oven. If you’re shopping for yourself, think about how much you’ll use and freeze the rest in portions. Check the current ingredients, allergen information and whether iodised salt is listed for each loaf.
Whether you’re planning drinks, brunch or sandwiches, you’ll want bread that suits the meal. Albert Heijn describes its white artisan loaf as having a slightly firmer texture and a crisp crust. When choosing, also check the allergen information and whether the bread is available at the shop where you do your food shopping.
If you won’t get through a whole loaf quickly, you can freeze it in portions as soon as you buy it and take out what you need for each meal. This is also the storage advice from the Netherlands Nutrition Centre.
Want white bread, but also keeping an eye on fibre, iodine or allergens? Compare the nutrition information per 100 g and read the current ingredients and allergen information. Sourdough or a special baking method doesn’t tell you how much fibre a loaf contains.
First decide how and when you want to serve the bread. Then compare the quantity, nutrition information and ingredients of the loaves that fit the bill.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Crust and texture | Check the product description for details about the crust and crumb. Albert Heijn describes its white artisan loaf as baked directly on a stone, with a slightly firmer texture. | For my first dinner party, I want bread that’s easy to serve with toppings or drinks; around 36% of shoppers put presentation and texture first. |
| Quantity and storage | Choose an amount that suits you and check the storage instructions. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises freezing bread in portions as soon as you buy it. | If I live alone and eat at irregular times, I don’t want to be left with a whole loaf I haven’t used; around 29% of shoppers say reducing waste is their top priority. |
| Fibre | Compare the fibre information per 100 g and check whether the bread is white, brown or wholemeal. A special baking method is no substitute for checking the label. | If I eat white bread more often, I want to know how its nutritional value compares with my other choices; fibre matters most to around 21% of shoppers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current allergen information and check the ingredients list for iodised salt or baker’s salt. | I want to know which ingredients and allergens are listed for the bread before I buy it; around 14% of shoppers put checking the label first. |
The way bread is made and its fibre content are separate things. Albert Heijn lists 1.6 g of fibre per 100 g for its white artisan loaf and 3.5 g per 100 g for OerDesem blond.
Compare fibre per 100 g. If fibre is your main reason for choosing a loaf, include brown and wholemeal bread in your comparison too; the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises replacing white bread with these as much as possible.
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that iodine compounds may be present in bread. This doesn’t tell you which type of salt is in the loaf you want to buy.
Check the ingredients list for the specific product for iodised salt or baker’s salt, rather than making assumptions based on the type of bread.
After moving house, it can be hard to predict when you’ll be eating at home. If bread is left uneaten, its quality may deteriorate before you get a chance to use it.
Divide any bread you won’t eat straight away into portions and freeze them as soon as you buy it, as advised by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre.
Lidl says its fresh bread selection can vary from one store to another. The shop you choose and its current range can also affect the availability of the other breads mentioned here.
Check availability at your shop shortly before your dinner party, and be prepared to choose a different loaf.
Examples include AH Vloerbrood wit heel and AH Liefde & Passie Biologisch OerDesem blond.
Examples in the range include white bread with extra fibre and La Place wit afbak-vloerbrood.
The fresh-from-the-oven range includes items such as white rolls and par-baked bread.
Bakkersgoud rustiek wit is an example of a rustic white loaf.
PLUS Beiers Vloerbrood wit heel is an example of a white artisan loaf.
Bakker van der Akker Vloerbrood zonnepit is a white artisan loaf with sunflower seeds.
These baguettes are ideal for a simple meal or sandwich after moving house. One is listed as a rustic white baguette; the other is a white baguette to bake at home. Before choosing, compare the quantity and the preparation and allergen information.
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A white baguette to serve with a meal or use for a sandwich. The pack contains 250 g; check the current allergen information before serving.
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A par-baked baguette for when you have an oven and want to bake the bread just before your meal. The pack contains 220 g; follow the current preparation instructions and allergen information on the packaging.
That isn’t what the cited information from the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says: it explains that iodine compounds may be present in bread, not that every loaf contains iodised salt. Check the ingredients list of the bread you choose; Albert Heijn lists iodised salt in the white artisan and sourdough loaves mentioned here.
If fibre is your top priority, a special crust or sourdough recipe is no substitute for comparing nutritional values. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises replacing white bread with wholemeal or brown bread as much as possible. Check the fibre content per 100 g for each product.
Freeze the amount you won’t use straight away in portions as soon as you buy it, then take out what you need. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends this approach for bread; also follow the storage instructions on the packaging.
Don’t assume that a loaf is gluten-free just because it’s called an ‘artisan loaf’. The Albert Heijn and PLUS examples mentioned here list cereals containing gluten. Before buying, read the current ingredients and allergen information for the specific loaf.
Don’t count on it. Lidl says its fresh bread range can vary from one store to another, and the availability shown for the PLUS artisan loaf mentioned here depends on the selected shop. Check your local store before planning your meal around a particular loaf.
