If you want to use real sourdough in a cake-like bake, choose a recipe designed for an active starter or sourdough discard. If you mainly want to bake Dutch breakfast cake quickly, a direct recipe without fermentation is a better fit. Ready-made breakfast cake is handy as an ingredient, but the product name alone doesn’t mean it contains sourdough.
You already have a sourdough starter and want to use the discard in a sweet bake. Choose a recipe written specifically for sourdough discard, rather than adding it to a breakfast cake recipe without making any adjustments.
You’re looking for a cake-like breakfast cake without having to build up a starter first. A direct recipe is a different option from baking with sourdough.
You want to use ready-made breakfast cake and compare the ingredients, nutritional information, portions and allergens for each variety. A label such as wholemeal or no added sugars doesn’t replace these checks.
First decide whether sourdough needs to be part of the baking process. Then choose between baking with a starter, using a direct recipe or using packaged breakfast cake as an ingredient.
Choose this if: you want to bake with sourdough and have time to build up and maintain a starter.
Bear in mind: a breakfast cake recipe needs to account for the flour and liquid in the starter. Jumbo says it takes 3 to 6 days to prepare a starter.
Choose this if: you already maintain a starter and want to use the discard in a sweet bake.
Bear in mind: a recipe for sourdough discard can’t be used interchangeably with a regular breakfast cake recipe without adjustments.
Choose this if: you want to bake the same day and fermentation isn’t essential.
Bear in mind: Albert Heijn Allerhande’s method uses wholemeal flour, apple cider vinegar and bicarbonate of soda, not a sourdough starter.
Choose this if: you want to use breakfast cake as an ingredient without baking it yourself.
Bear in mind: check the ingredients if sourdough is important to your bake; regular breakfast cake isn’t automatically a sourdough product.
| Point to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Real sourdough | Look for a recipe using an active starter or sourdough discard. For a packaged product, check that sourdough is explicitly listed in the ingredients. | If I want to use sourdough, it needs to be part of the recipe, not just my search. This is the top priority for around 33% of consumers. |
| Preparation time | Check the preparation, tin size and baking time for your chosen recipe; don’t use the timings for a different dough. | If I want to bake a cake-like breakfast cake today, a recipe I can make straight away matters most. This is the top priority for around 25% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and nutritional information | Read the ingredients and allergen information for each variety. Compare sugars, fibre, polyols and salt per 100 g and per portion. | If I’m making a bake with shop-bought breakfast cake, I want to know which variety suits my ingredient preferences. For around 25% of consumers, checking the label comes before the other considerations. |
| Packaging and availability | Check that the pack size suits your recipe and look up the latest in-store or delivery information. | If I only need part of a cake, convenient packaging matters more to me than baking from scratch. Around 17% of consumers prioritise this practical convenience. |
The words in a search query tell you nothing about the ingredients in the breakfast cake you eventually buy.
If you really want to bake with sourdough, choose a suitable starter recipe or check that sourdough is listed on the packaging of the specific product.
According to the product information, a Peijnenburg variety listed by Jumbo as having no added sugars still contains sugars and polyols, including xylitol.
Compare the nutritional information per 100 g and per portion. Keep any product containing xylitol away from pets.
The Peijnenburg and PLUS varieties described contain rye or wheat ingredients. Another variety may have different ingredients and allergen information.
Before using it, read the latest information on the exact pack you’ve chosen, even if it says wholemeal.
Worth considering if you want to compare packaged breakfast cakes by wholemeal ingredients, sweeteners or portion sizes.
A retailer where you can compare different types of breakfast cake, including whole cakes and individually wrapped portions.
ALDI’s own brand, which includes pre-sliced breakfast cake.
A traditional bakery-style breakfast cake for anyone looking for a whole cake to use as an ingredient.
Particularly useful as a recipe source if you want to bake a cake-like breakfast cake yourself.
No. For a specific Peijnenburg variety with no added sugars, Jumbo still lists 4.9 g of sugars and 23 g of polyols per 100 g. Read the nutritional information for the variety you want to use; the product information also mentions xylitol.
Don’t rely on the product name alone: the Peijnenburg and PLUS varieties described contain rye or wheat. Check the ingredients and allergen information on the exact pack before using the cake.
You can’t assume this based on the product category. Voedingscentrum even says that using baking salt isn’t compulsory for bread. Check the latest ingredients list for a specific breakfast cake rather than assuming it contains iodised salt.
