If you’re serving bread shortly after buying it as part of a meal together, you can choose a fresh artisan loaf or sourdough. If you want to decide when to eat it once you’re there, part-baked bread is an option, provided the holiday home has the right equipment. Whichever you choose, check the ingredients, allergens and storage instructions. If a guest needs to eat gluten-free, you’ll need a product specifically labelled gluten-free: sourdough or spelt on its own is not a suitable indication.
Whether you’re serving breakfast, drinks or dinner, choose bread that suits how you’ll serve it: for example, a loaf to slice or smaller pieces to share. Albert Heijn features sourdough loaves, while ALDI has a rustic range; compare individual products by shape, ingredients and preparation.
If guests are arriving at different times, portion sizes and storage instructions matter. Part-baked bread lets you bake it when you’re there, as long as the kitchen has suitable equipment. For regular bread, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends freezing it in portions straight after purchase if you won’t use it in time.
If a guest has coeliac disease, it’s important to choose the right bread and prevent contact with ordinary bread crumbs. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre warns that even a small amount of gluten can cause symptoms. Choose a product specifically labelled gluten-free and keep it, and the utensils used to prepare it, separate.
First, decide when and who you’ll be eating with. Then compare the bread’s shape, preparation and packaging. If someone has a dietary restriction, check the label carefully and take extra care in a shared kitchen.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| How you’ll serve it and the style of bread | Check whether the shape and portions work for slicing, sharing or serving with dips. Read the ingredients as well as the product name. | For a special meal, I want to choose bread that suits the way we’ll eat together. Around 36% of consumers prioritise how they’ll serve it and the style of bread. |
| Baking and storage | Before opening, check what equipment you’ll need, the baking instructions and how to store the bread before and after opening. | If our plans might change, I want to be able to plan the bread without bringing more than we need. Around 29% of consumers prioritise this practical planning. |
| Wholemeal and ingredients | If you’re looking for wholemeal bread, check that it’s labelled ‘wholemeal’ and compare the ingredients and fibre per 100 g. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, multigrain does not automatically mean wholemeal. | For breakfast or lunch, I want to see which grains are in the bread rather than judge it by its dark colour. Around 21% of consumers put this choice of ingredients first. |
| Gluten and allergens | Read the latest allergen information. If someone needs to eat gluten-free, choose a product specifically labelled gluten-free and prevent contact with ordinary bread. | If a guest eats gluten-free, I want to take bread crumbs into account when preparing and serving food, too. Around 14% of consumers put dietary suitability ahead of other bread choices. |
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, ‘multigrain’ means bread made with at least three types of grain. It doesn’t mean the bread is wholemeal, and its colour is no substitute for checking the product label.
If you want wholemeal bread, check that ‘wholemeal’ appears on the packaging. Then compare the ingredients and fibre per 100 g.
Part-baked products may need to be cooked at a specific temperature for a set time. For example, PLUS gives separate oven and air fryer instructions for its sourdough demi-baguettes; don’t assume the same instructions apply to a different loaf.
Before you set off, check what equipment is available and read the instructions for the product you’ve chosen.
The words ‘sourdough’ and ‘spelt’ do not mean that bread is gluten-free. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre also warns that even a stray bread crumb can cause symptoms for someone with coeliac disease.
Choose bread specifically labelled gluten-free and use separate utensils and toppings for that guest to prevent contact with ordinary bread.
If the group size or mealtimes change, you may end up with a large loaf left over. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends freezing bread in portions straight after purchase if you won’t use it in time.
Plan portions for each meal and consider smaller loaves or individual part-baked portions if they’re a better fit for your group.
Albert Heijn features sourdough loaves in its Liefde & Passie range. A separate product page also describes an organic multigrain artisan loaf made with sourdough.
Jumbo is an online supermarket where you can put together a grocery order for your stay.
Lidl features, among other options, an organic brown multigrain sourdough loaf with seeds, and describes its freshly baked oven bread.
ALDI lists Bakkersgoud and Bakkersgoud Rustiek in the range at shops with an in-store bakery.
PLUS provides oven and air fryer instructions for its sourdough demi-baguettes. Its organic sourdough pumpkin rolls also come with storage instructions for after opening.
Dirk’s bread range includes wholemeal bread, white bread, multigrain bread and sourdough.
These products suit different mealtimes at your holiday home: multigrain baguettes and round loaves to share, as well as flatbread for a meal that doesn’t need a planned baking time. For any bread you want to bake, compare the packaging instructions with the equipment available where you’re staying.
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Four individual baguettes for a meal where you want to share the bread.
Before baking them where you’re staying, check the storage instructions and baking time on the packaging. These are not gluten-free.
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A 550 g round wholemeal loaf for slicing and sharing at breakfast or lunch.
Check the oven instructions on the packaging before baking. The loaf contains wheat and is not gluten-free.
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A 550 g round multigrain loaf for a meal where you want to share the bread.
If you want to bake it where you’re staying, check the baking time on the packaging. The listed ingredients include wheat, barley and sesame; don’t choose this loaf for a gluten-free guest.
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Flatbread for an informal meal shared with dips, with no baking time to plan.
The pack contains six pieces. Check the ingredients and storage advice on the packaging; the bread contains wheat and gluten, so it is not gluten-free.
Choose fresh bread if you’re serving it shortly after buying it. Part-baked bread lets you bake it when you’re there, provided the necessary equipment is available. Always read the instructions for the specific product: for example, PLUS recommends baking its sourdough demi-baguettes in the oven for 8–10 minutes at 220 °C, or in the air fryer for 5–6 minutes at 200 °C.
Freeze ordinary bread in portions straight after purchase if you won’t use it in time, and take out what you need, as recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. For a specific product, also follow the storage instructions on the packaging, especially after opening.
No, ‘multigrain’ and ‘wholemeal’ don’t mean the same thing. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, multigrain bread contains at least three types of grain. If you want wholemeal bread, check the product label and the ingredients of the loaf itself.
No, the terms ‘sourdough’ and ‘spelt’ don’t mean that a loaf is suitable for someone with coeliac disease. Choose a product specifically labelled gluten-free and make sure it doesn’t come into contact with ordinary bread crumbs or shared utensils at the holiday home. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre warns that even a small amount of gluten can cause symptoms.
If iodised salt matters to your choice, check the ingredients list for the specific loaf. Don’t rely on the type of bread or a description such as ‘artisan’ alone.
