If you’d like to give the familiar combination of rusk and chocolate sprinkles for the Christmas market a different base, sourdough bread is an option. However, rusk and sourdough bread are different products. Choose a clearly labelled wholemeal sourdough loaf if the bread ingredients and salt used matter to you. Check the nutritional information and allergens for each type of chocolate sprinkles; if you’re selling food without packaging, allergen information must be available before purchase.
You’re after the familiar sweetness of chocolate sprinkles on rusk, but are considering using a slice of sourdough bread for a different presentation. Think about the texture of bread you want, and choose your chocolate sprinkles based on the specific product variant, not just the word ‘dark’.
You want to know what goes into the bread. Sourdough doesn’t automatically mean wholemeal, and according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. The ingredients list or your baker can tell you more about the bread you choose.
You’re preparing topped slices for customers and need up-to-date allergen information for both the bread and the topping. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority states that information about allergens present in unwrapped food must be available before purchase.
First decide whether you want to keep the crisp rusk or serve a slice of sourdough bread. If you choose the latter, check the bread itself, then look at the exact variant of chocolate sprinkles.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who should pay particular attention? |
|---|---|---|
| Flavour and presentation | Choose between rusk and a slice of sourdough bread. For the chocolate sprinkles, check the product’s form and the stated cocoa content of the specific variant. | If I want to serve something on the day, the combination needs to match the flavour and presentation I have in mind. This would be the main consideration for around 31% of consumers. |
| Wholemeal and salt | Check whether the ingredients for your chosen bread include wholemeal flour and iodised salt or baker’s salt. | If you’re choosing the bread carefully, you shouldn’t have to assume it’s wholemeal just because it says ‘sourdough’. Checking for wholemeal flour and the salt used would be the top priority for around 31% of consumers. |
| Allergens | Check the latest information for both the bread and topping. If selling food without packaging, make sure the relevant allergen information is available before purchase. | If I’m serving unwrapped slices with toppings, I need to be able to tell customers which allergens they contain. Allergen information would be the top priority for around 23% of consumers. |
| Shopping plans | Check the store you plan to visit and the storage instructions for the bread you actually buy. | If you’re shopping for an event, you’ll want to collect the bread in good time and store it according to the product information. This would be the main consideration for around 15% of consumers. |
Sourdough tells you something about the raising agent, but not necessarily about the flour or salt. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt.
For packaged bread, check the ingredients list for wholemeal flour and iodised salt or baker’s salt. For unwrapped bread, ask which flour and salt have been used.
Albert Heijn’s product information for De Ruijter Royaal extra dark chocolate sprinkles and Venz Hagelslag puur lists milk and soya for both. The bread ingredients matter too when you’re serving a topped slice.
Keep the latest labels for both products to hand. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority requires information about allergens present in unwrapped food to be available before purchase.
Jumbo describes its sourdough breads as in-store products that can’t be ordered online; Lidl also lists its Rustiek volkoren desembrood as an in-store item. This doesn’t tell you whether the bread you want will be available at a particular store on the day you shop.
Check with the store before planning your Christmas market shopping, and follow the storage instructions for the bread you choose.
Albert Heijn lists at least 43% cocoa solids and 54 g of sugars per 100 g for De Ruijter Royaal chocoladehagel extra puur; for Venz Hagelslag puur, the figures are at least 32% and 65 g of sugars per 100 g. These values apply to those specific variants.
Compare the cocoa solids, sugars per 100 g and allergens on the packaging of the variants you’re actually choosing between.
De Ruijter Royaal chocoladehagel extra puur is one option to consider if you’re thinking of serving dark chocolate sprinkles on sourdough bread.
Venz Hagelslag puur is a separate 400 g variant of dark chocolate sprinkles for bread.
AH Liefde & Passie Nederlands desem volkoren is a specific bread option if you want to check that it contains wholemeal wheat and iodised salt.
Jumbo describes a range of rustic sourdough breads for anyone who’d like to use a loaf from a shop instead of rusk.
Lidl Rustiek volkoren desembrood is an in-store option if you’re specifically looking for wholemeal wheat sourdough bread.
These products are sweet topping options if you’re serving rusk or choosing a slice of sourdough bread as your base. Check the ingredients, allergens and salt used in the bread separately when you buy it.
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A topping for anyone who’d like vanilla flavour as well as chocolate with their chosen bread.
Before serving, check the latest ingredients and allergen information for this variant, particularly if you’re offering unwrapped portions.
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Consider this chocolate topping only if its form suits the presentation you have in mind.
Check whether you’ll receive chocolate chunks or sprinkles: the product title and description use different terms. Also check the latest label for allergens.
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A milk chocolate option if you’d like to use this type of sprinkles on rusk or bread.
If cocoa content will influence your choice, check the packaging for this exact variant. Also check the latest allergen information.
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A variant described as dark chocolate sprinkles, to use with the bread of your choice.
If you want to compare variants by cocoa content, check the percentage on the packaging for this variant. Also read the latest label for allergen information.
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These cocoa flakes are an alternative if you’re looking for a different topping from classic chocolate sprinkles.
Check that the flakes suit your presentation, and read the latest label for ingredients and allergen information.
No. In this combination, sourdough bread replaces the rusk as the base; it isn’t a type of rusk. Think about the texture of bread you’d like to serve, then choose a topping to match.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers in the Netherlands aren’t required to use baker’s salt. For packaged bread, check the ingredients list for iodised salt or baker’s salt; for unwrapped bread, ask the baker.
No. Sourdough refers to the raising agent, while wholemeal refers to the grain used. Check the product name and ingredients. For example, Albert Heijn lists wholemeal wheat flour for AH Liefde & Passie Nederlands desem volkoren.
If you sell unwrapped topped slices, information about the allergens they contain must be available before purchase. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority lists 14 allergens; for cereals containing gluten, you must also specify which cereal it is. Use the latest information for both the bread and the topping.
Follow the storage instructions for the products you’re actually using. The De Ruijter and Venz chocolate sprinkles described here should be stored in a cool, dry place. Albert Heijn says AH Liefde & Passie Nederlands desem volkoren can be frozen on the day of purchase. Other breads may have different instructions.
