Choose sourdough bread for Easter lunch based on how you plan to serve it: opt for a clearly labelled wholemeal loaf if you want a wholemeal base for your toppings, or choose tear-and-share bread and mini baguettes if you want everyone to help themselves easily. Bake-at-home bread is only suitable if you have the time and equipment shortly before lunch. Check the ingredients, allergens, portions and ordering options for each loaf.
You want to make bread the centrepiece of the table and serve it in a way that’s easy to share. Tear-and-share bread, a baguette and a whole loaf each call for a different serving approach. Check, too, whether the bread is ready to eat.
You’re looking for bread to serve with lunch toppings and want to know whether it’s genuinely wholemeal. The terms ‘sourdough’ and ‘multigrain’ alone don’t tell you that.
You want to check the ingredients and allergens before buying, perhaps because a guest needs to avoid certain ingredients. The name ‘sourdough’ is no substitute for checking the label.
First decide how you’ll serve the bread and whether you want a wholemeal option. Then make sure the preparation fits your serving time and check the label of the product you choose.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Bread for the table | Choose between sliced bread, tear-and-share bread and baguettes; check whether it needs baking. | If everyone will help themselves to bread with different toppings, I mainly want a shape that’s easy to share. Around 40% of consumers would put ease of serving first. |
| A wholemeal base | Look for an explicit wholemeal label and read the ingredients; multigrain doesn’t automatically mean wholemeal. | For lunch with toppings, I want to know what flour the bread is made from rather than relying on the name ‘sourdough’. This would be the top priority for around 30% of consumers. |
| Serving time | Read the preparation instructions and check whether you have an oven or air fryer available. | If I want to serve the bread warm just before lunch, baking it needs to fit into my plans. Around 20% of consumers would put timing first. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the current ingredients list, allergen information and any warnings on the packaging. | If a guest needs to avoid certain ingredients, I want to be able to check the label before buying bread. For around 10% of consumers, this would be the most important factor when choosing. |
Sourdough tells you something about how the bread rises, not whether it’s made with wholemeal flour. Multigrain sourdough isn’t automatically wholemeal either.
Look for ‘wholemeal’ in the product name or on the packaging. If the ingredients matter to your choice, check the ingredients and nutritional information too.
Jumbo says its rustic sourdough loaves are only available in store. So, an online description of a loaf doesn’t necessarily mean you can have it delivered or collect it.
Check how to order the product you want, whether it’s available at your store and the opening hours around Easter Sunday.
Bake-at-home sourdough takes time to prepare. If lunch is due to start at a set time, baking the bread could clash with other things you need the oven for.
Read the bread’s instructions in advance and choose a ready-to-eat option if you won’t have time to bake it just before serving.
Sourdough bread can contain gluten-containing cereals. The exact ingredients and warnings vary from product to product.
Check the current packaging and don’t rely on the word ‘sourdough’ if the ingredients or allergens matter to a guest.
A good starting point for exploring product information on different types of sourdough bread.
Worth considering if you want to compare rustic sourdough loaves with a bake-at-home tear-and-share loaf.
A good option if you’re specifically looking for wholemeal wheat sourdough.
A place to look for bakery loaves locally, but don’t assume that a rustic loaf is sourdough.
Worth considering for a smaller multigrain sourdough loaf or bake-at-home sourdough demi-baguettes.
A possible place to look for sourdough in the bread range.
No. Sourdough refers to how the bread rises. To find out what flour it contains, check the product name and ingredients list. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre generally recommends choosing wholemeal or brown bread.
Yes, as long as the storage advice for the bread you choose is suitable for the time between buying it and lunch. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says opened wholemeal sourdough bread keeps for 2–4 days in a kitchen cupboard and 1–3 months in the freezer. For an unopened pack, follow the date and instructions on the label.
Read the full allergen information for the specific loaf, including any warnings about cross-contamination. Jumbo lists wheat and spelt among the ingredients in its white sourdough tear-and-share loaf; another sourdough bread may have a different recipe.
No, you can’t tell from the name. Check the ingredients list for the loaf you choose to see whether it contains baker’s salt or iodised salt.
No. Jumbo says its rustic sourdough loaves are only available in store, although it also has an online product page for bake-at-home sourdough tear-and-share bread. Check the ordering options for the loaf you want to take to Easter lunch.
