Who is this choice relevant to?

Hosts catering for different tastes

If some guests prefer white rolls and others want wholemeal, serving both gives everyone a familiar option. That way, you don’t have to assume that a single type of multigrain roll will suit everyone.

Brunch shoppers looking for fibre

If you want to serve a wholemeal option, check the product description and ingredients for wholemeal flour. A darker colour or the name ‘multigrain’ alone doesn’t make a roll wholemeal.

Hosts who want to bake rolls just before serving

For a Christmas breakfast or brunch, you can time the preparation to coincide with serving. Check whether the instructions, storage life and oven or air fryer capacity needed for bake-at-home and frozen rolls suit your plans.

What should you look for when choosing?

First, decide which tastes you want to cater for at your Christmas breakfast or brunch. Then check which rolls you can store in advance and which you’ll want to bake just before serving.

What to consider What to look for Who it’s for
Choosing between white and wholemeal For a wholemeal option, look for an explicit mention of wholemeal flour, and choose white rolls separately if you wish. If my guests are split between white and wholemeal, I want to be able to serve both. For around 45% of consumers, having that choice is the priority.
Identifying wholemeal and fibre content Read the product description and ingredients, and compare the stated fibre per 100 g on a like-for-like basis. I want to serve a clearly labelled wholemeal roll at Christmas brunch without judging by its colour. This is the main consideration for around 33% of consumers.
When to bake the rolls Check the preparation and storage instructions, and make sure you have enough time and oven or air fryer capacity. I want to bake the rolls just before serving, but need to fit it into my schedule. For around 22% of consumers, the timing of serving is the deciding factor.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming multigrain means wholemeal

    The name ‘multigrain’ doesn’t tell you how much wholemeal flour a roll contains. PLUS lists 56% wholemeal wheat flour for one specific multigrain variety; that figure doesn’t apply to other multigrain rolls.

    Look for wholemeal flour in the product description and ingredients. If fibre matters to you, compare the nutritional information per 100 g.

  • Assuming every roll contains iodised baker’s salt

    According to the Voedingscentrum, iodised baker’s salt is a source of iodine, but using it to bake bread isn’t compulsory. Its presence therefore varies from product to product.

    To find out whether your rolls contain it, read the ingredients on the packaging or ask about loose rolls in store.

  • Leaving preparation details until Christmas morning

    Bake-at-home and frozen rolls can have different preparation and storage instructions. Jumbo says its Diepvries Pistolets Wit should be prepared and eaten within 24 hours of defrosting, and not refrozen.

    Read the instructions before buying and choose a pack that suits your serving time and the equipment you have available.

  • Not asking about allergens in loose rolls

    Loose rolls don’t have allergen information on individual packaging. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says this information must also be provided to consumers for unpackaged foods.

    Ask in store for information about the specific roll, or check the information available on the shelf before buying it for a guest with a food allergy.

Brands and shops to explore

These shops’ ranges give you an idea of where to compare different types of crusty rolls. Before doing your Christmas shop, check the product and its availability at your local store.

Albert Heijn

Albert Heijn offers a wholemeal crusty roll alongside white rolls, which works well if you’re catering for two different tastes.

  • According to the product information, the AH Pistolet volkoren contains 100% wholemeal flour and 7,1 g of fibre per 100 g.
  • Check the packaging of the product you choose when you buy it; the details for this wholemeal roll don’t automatically apply to other varieties.

Jumbo

Jumbo offers white, brown, wholemeal and multiseed crusty rolls, as well as a frozen variety.

  • The product information for its frozen rolls includes storage and defrosting instructions to help you plan when to serve them.
  • Read the instructions for the variety you choose: a frozen product needs different planning from rolls you can serve straight away.

PLUS

PLUS lists white and multigrain bake-at-home crusty rolls as separate products, each with its own ingredients and preparation instructions.

  • One specific PLUS multigrain variety lists 56% wholemeal wheat flour; the product information helps you distinguish it from a white roll.
  • Check the ingredients and allergens for the pack you choose. The name ‘multigrain’ is no substitute for checking.

Lidl

Lidl offers white crusty rolls in its freshly baked bread range, alongside other rolls such as wholemeal bread rolls.

  • If you’re shopping just before serving, you can compare the types of bread in store.
  • Lidl says its fresh bread range may vary by store. Also, wholemeal bread rolls aren’t the same product as wholemeal crusty rolls.

ALDI

ALDI offers a loose white crusty roll, as well as various types of rolls to bake at home.

  • A loose white roll could be a handy option if you only need a few for the white selection on your table.
  • Check separately whether a bake-at-home roll you’re considering is actually a wholemeal crusty roll.

Dirk

Dirk offers a loose white crusty roll and a pack of four white bake-at-home crusty rolls.

  • For the white option, you can choose between a loose roll and one you bake at home.
  • For the wholemeal option on a mixed table, look for a separate product explicitly labelled as a wholemeal crusty roll.

White crusty rolls as part of the mix

These white crusty rolls suit guests who prefer white bread. If you’d also like to offer a wholemeal option, choose a separate roll whose product information lists wholemeal flour.

g'woon white rustic crusty rolls, pack of 4

g'woon white rustic crusty rolls, pack of 4

A white option for a Christmas table where not everyone wants wholemeal bread.

Four rolls per pack. Check the ingredients and allergens on the packaging, and read the preparation instructions if you’d like to serve the rolls warm.

View at Joybuy

Frequently asked questions

Is a multigrain crusty roll always wholemeal?

No, ‘multigrain’ doesn’t automatically mean a roll is wholemeal. Check the product description and ingredients: the mention of wholemeal flour for one variety, such as a PLUS multigrain crusty roll, doesn’t tell you anything about other products.

Does every crusty roll contain iodised baker’s salt?

No. According to the Voedingscentrum, using baker’s salt in bread isn’t compulsory. Check the ingredients of packaged rolls, or ask which salt has been used for loose rolls.

Where can I find allergen information for loose crusty rolls?

Ask in store or check the information for the specific roll. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says allergen information must also be provided to consumers for unpackaged foods.

Can you cook bake-at-home crusty rolls in an air fryer?

Yes, if the preparation instructions for your rolls mention an air fryer. PLUS provides air fryer instructions for certain bake-at-home rolls; follow the settings and cooking time on the packaging you buy, not those for another variety.

Can you refreeze frozen crusty rolls after defrosting?

Follow the instructions for the specific product. Jumbo says its Diepvries Pistolets Wit should not be refrozen after defrosting and should be prepared and eaten within 24 hours.