Who are these options for?

Christmas bakers with time for a sourdough project

You want to make your own currant buns with a sourdough starter and can fit building up the starter and proving the dough into your plans before Christmas.

Hosts who want to shop ahead

You want to have buns ready for Christmas breakfast or brunch without a multi-day baking process. In that case, the storage instructions on your chosen pack matter.

Shoppers who want to check the label

You pay attention to the ingredients, allergens or salt used in the specific bun. A label such as ‘sourdough’ won’t answer those questions by itself.

What should guide your choice?

First decide whether you want to plan a sourdough process yourself or buy the buns. If you’re buying, check the information for that particular currant bun, not for a different bread in the same range.

Bake your own with sourdough

When: you want to do the baking yourself and can start a sourdough starter before Christmas.

The trade-off: you choose the recipe, but you’ll also need to plan for the starter and proving time.

Buy from a bakery

When: you’re looking for a sourdough currant bun without making the dough yourself.

The trade-off: ask which raising agent was used and check the ingredients for that specific bun; the name of another sourdough bread won’t tell you anything about it.

Standard packaged currant buns

When: you want to buy buns to serve at Christmas.

The trade-off: you can compare ingredients and storage instructions on the packaging, but the standard examples from Jumbo and PLUS list baker’s yeast and don’t confirm a sourdough process.

What to consider What to check when buying Who it matters to
Planning and storage If you’re baking your own, plan for the starter and proving time. For bought buns, check the use-by date and freezing instructions. If I want to serve them at Christmas, I need to know whether baking fits into my plans or whether I can buy them in advance. For an estimated 38% of shoppers, planning comes first.
Sourdough process Ask the baker which raising agent was used for these currant buns and whether yeast was added as well as sourdough. I’m specifically looking for a bun made with sourdough and want to be able to confirm that for this particular variety. For around 31% of shoppers, the sourdough process is the main consideration.
Ingredients and nutritional information Check the grains and allergens in the specific bun; for fibre and the salt used, check the recipe or packaging. If I need to avoid an ingredient, I can’t rely on the word ‘sourdough’. This product information is the top priority for an estimated 31% of shoppers.

What should you look out for?

  • Mistaking a standard currant bun for a sourdough variety

    The standard currant buns described by Jumbo and PLUS list baker’s yeast. Information about a sourdough bread in the same range doesn’t automatically apply to the currant buns.

    Check the ingredients for your chosen bun or ask the baker which raising agent was used for that variety.

  • Confusing sourdough with gluten-free

    A wheat currant bun doesn’t become gluten-free just because the dough rises with sourdough. The standard examples from Jumbo and PLUS contain wheat and also list milk ingredients.

    If you need to avoid allergens, check the information for the specific bun. For unwrapped buns, ask which ingredients are used and, where relevant, about possible cross-contamination.

  • Assuming sourdough means the salt contains iodine

    The name of the raising agent doesn’t tell you which salt was used. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises people baking their own bread to use baker’s salt instead of ordinary table salt.

    If you’re baking your own, check the recipe. If you’re buying a bun, ask which salt was used if that matters to your choice.

  • Buying ahead without a storage plan

    Whether buns bought in advance will still be suitable to serve at Christmas depends in part on the product’s storage instructions.

    Check the date and instructions on the packaging before buying or freezing. For the currant buns described, PLUS says to freeze them on the day of purchase and use within one month.

    Buns you don’t use in time can dry out or go stale.

Brands to consider

Albert Heijn

Allerhande offers recipes for anyone who wants to bake their own currant buns.

  • The wholemeal recipe described uses wholemeal wheat flour, currants and raisins, and lists 4 g of fibre per serving.
  • The recipe uses dried yeast; you’ll need a suitable recipe to make sourdough currant buns.

Jumbo

The currant buns and sourdough breads described are different products and should be considered separately.

  • The standard raisin currant buns list ingredients and nutritional information per 100 g, among other details.
  • The ingredients for those currant buns include baker’s yeast; information about Jumbo sourdough bread doesn’t confirm that these buns are made with sourdough.

PLUS

The packaged currant buns described provide practical information for anyone who wants to shop ahead.

  • PLUS lists the ingredients and allergens and advises freezing these buns on the day of purchase and using them within one month.
  • The ingredients include baker’s yeast, wheat and milk ingredients; don’t assume this variety is a confirmed sourdough or gluten-free bun.

ALDI

ALDI describes a pack of six wheat-based raisin currant buns.

  • The product description makes clear which standard bun it is and how many are in the pack.
  • Check the packaging for the full ingredients, allergens and raising agent before choosing based on these details.

Lidl

Lidl describes its currant buns as an in-store product, with six buns per bag.

  • The product description states how many buns are in the pack.
  • Check the physical packaging for the ingredients, allergens and raising agent for your chosen variety.

Related products

Related products will be available soon.

Frequently asked questions

Are sourdough currant buns gluten-free?

No, not automatically: the sourdough process doesn’t make a wheat currant bun gluten-free. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre points out that you can identify a gluten-free product by an explicit statement or the Crossed Grain symbol on the packaging. If you need to avoid certain allergens, also check the ingredients and information about possible cross-contamination for the specific bun.

Should I use baker’s salt when making sourdough currant buns?

Not because of the sourdough process itself: sourdough doesn’t determine which salt you use. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises people baking their own bread to use baker’s salt instead of ordinary table salt. If you want to know which type of salt is used in a bought currant bun, don’t rely on its name alone.

Can I freeze currant buns before Christmas?

You can, as long as the storage instructions for your chosen buns allow it. For the currant buns described, PLUS says you can freeze them at home on the day of purchase and should use them within one month. For other packs, follow the date and instructions shown on the packaging.

How can I check allergens in a currant bun from a bakery?

Ask for the allergen information for that specific unwrapped currant bun. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, information about the designated allergens must also be available for unwrapped foods. Ask specifically about the grains and other ingredients that matter to you, and, if necessary, about possible cross-contamination.