Fans of savoury toppings
If you want to top your food with cheese, egg, fish, hummus or vegetables, you’ll generally want a bread-like base rather than a sweet slice of breakfast cake.
Who is this choice relevant to?
Shoppers checking fibre and baker’s salt
If you choose bread based on its ingredients, look separately for the ‘wholemeal’ label and check whether baker’s salt has been used. According to the Voedingscentrum, its use is not compulsory.
Fans of soft breakfast cake
If you’re mainly looking for a sweet, soft, pre-sliced product in a packet, breakfast cake may be a better choice as a snack or extra treat than as a base for savoury toppings.
What should you look for when choosing?
First decide whether the product needs to hold savoury toppings. Then compare the nutritional information and choose the texture you’d like to eat.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this important to? |
|---|---|---|
| Base for savoury toppings | Check whether the bread is labelled wholemeal and whether its shape suits your toppings. | If I want to add cheese, egg or vegetables, I’m looking for a bread-like base rather than a sweet slice. Around 40% of consumers prioritise this suitability for savoury toppings. |
| Ingredients and baker’s salt | Compare sugars and fibre per 100 g and per portion. For bread, also check for the ‘wholemeal’ label and baker’s salt. | If I eat bread regularly and pay attention to its ingredients, I don’t want to assume from the name ‘sourdough’ that it’s wholemeal or made with baker’s salt. Around 40% of consumers prioritise these checks. |
| Convenience and texture | Consider whether you want a soft or crunchy texture, and check whether fresh bread is available at your shop. | If I want something soft and pre-sliced to take with me, breakfast cake may feel more convenient than fresh bread or crispbread. Around 20% of consumers put this need for convenience and a particular texture first. |
Common mistakes
-
Assuming sourdough means wholemeal
Sourdough is a way of making bread rise. Sourdough bread can also be made with non-wholemeal flour.
Look separately for the ‘wholemeal’ label if that’s one of the reasons you’re choosing this bread.
-
Assuming all sourdough bread contains baker’s salt
According to the Voedingscentrum, bakers don’t have to use baker’s salt. The name of the bread alone won’t tell you whether it has been used.
Read the label or, for unwrapped bread, ask the baker which salt has been used.
-
Treating breakfast cake as the same kind of bread base
Breakfast cake is a sweet, soft cake. According to the Voedingscentrum, an average 30 g slice of standard breakfast cake contains 11.2 g of sugars and 1.1 g of fibre; this won’t necessarily apply to every individual product.
Choose based on the toppings you have in mind and compare the nutritional information for the products you’re considering.
-
Expecting to find a particular sourdough bread in every store
Jumbo says its sourdough breads described here are available in store and can’t be ordered online. Lidl also says its featured rustic wholemeal sourdough bread is sold in store.
If you have a particular variety in mind, check your local store’s current range before relying on it being available.
Brands to consider
Peijnenburg
An option if you’re looking for soft, pre-sliced breakfast cake in a packet.
- Albert Heijn describes its natural variety as sliced breakfast cake made with rye flour.
- According to Albert Heijn’s product information, this variety contains 38 g of sugars per 100 g. It’s still a sweet cake, not a neutral sourdough bread for savoury toppings.
Jumbo’s desembroden
A range of sourdough breads for anyone who likes to pair bread with savoury toppings.
- Jumbo describes several sourdough varieties that are baked off in store.
- Jumbo says these breads can’t be ordered online. Not every variety mentioned is labelled wholemeal.
Lidl
An in-store option featuring a wheat sourdough bread labelled wholemeal.
- Lidl describes its featured rustic variety as wholemeal wheat sourdough bread.
- Lidl says this variety is only available in store. Check the packaging for the ingredients and whether baker’s salt has been used.
Wasa
A crunchy crispbread option if you don’t want soft bread as a base for toppings.
- The Wasa Sourdough Rye shown at Albert Heijn is described as being made with wholemeal rye. The product information lists 19 g of fibre per 100 g.
- Crispbread has a different texture from soft bread or breakfast cake. If you have allergies, always check the packaging for the exact variety.
Joybuy products for this choice
If you’d prefer a crunchy base to soft bread or breakfast cake for savoury toppings, this rye crispbread may be worth a look.
No image available
Wasa Sourdough Rye Crackers, 235 g
A crunchy rye base to enjoy with toppings instead of soft bread or breakfast cake.
Pack size: 235 g. Check the packaging for the latest allergen information and whether baker’s salt has been used, if that matters to your choice.
Frequently asked questions
Is sourdough bread automatically wholemeal?
No. Sourdough describes how the bread rises, not whether it’s made with wholemeal flour. Check for the ‘wholemeal’ label on the product or ask the baker.
Does sourdough bread always contain iodine from baker’s salt?
No. According to the Voedingscentrum, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. Check the label to see whether it’s been used; for unwrapped bread, you can ask the baker.
Is lower-sugar breakfast cake a substitute for bread with savoury toppings?
Not necessarily. It’s still breakfast cake, with a different flavour and texture from sourdough bread. According to the Voedingscentrum’s reference values, a 30 g slice of lower-sugar breakfast cake contains 7.3 g of sugars and 3.6 g of fibre, compared with 11.2 g of sugars and 1.1 g of fibre in standard breakfast cake. Check the label for the variety you’re planning to buy and decide whether its flavour will work with your toppings.
What should I check if I have allergies?
Check the allergen information on the packaging of the exact product, even if you’re switching between breakfast cake, sourdough bread and rye crispbread. The product information for the Wasa Sourdough Rye shown here lists rye. For other ingredients or possible cross-contamination, refer to the latest packaging.