Choose a fresh sourdough or hearth-baked loaf if you want to serve a generous loaf with a distinctive crust for everyone to share. For smaller portions, or if you want to serve bread just before your drinks gathering, bake-at-home demi-baguettes are an option, provided you have the time and oven space. Whichever you choose, check the ingredients and allergens for the exact product.
A rustic sourdough loaf could be just the thing if flavour, crust and presentation matter to you. Albert Heijn describes its OerDesem as having an open crumb and a crisp crust; Jumbo also highlights the crisp crust of its rustic sourdough loaves.
Smaller loaves or demi-baguettes make it easier to match portions to the number of guests. If you choose bake-at-home bread, remember to allow time to prepare it just before serving.
Read the information for the exact product if allergens or the type of salt used matter. For unpackaged bread, you can ask for allergen information before buying, says the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority.
First, decide how you want to serve the bread and how many guests will be eating. Then compare the size, preparation and product information that matters to your guests.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Flavour and presentation | Check the description of the crust and crumb, and choose a size that will fit on your drinks platter. | If you want a loaf to share that has a clear place of its own on the platter, flavour and appearance matter a lot. Around 36% of consumers put this need first. |
| Serving time and portions | Check whether the bread is ready to serve or needs baking, and how many loaves or portions you’re buying. | For a small group, you’ll want to serve fresh bread without having lots left over or rushing at the last minute. For around 29% of consumers, this planning is the main consideration. |
| Texture for toppings | Check the type of bread and any grains or seeds listed; look for the ‘wholemeal’ label if you want wholemeal bread. | If you’re serving generous toppings, you might prefer a sturdier bread with more bite rather than a soft base. This is the main consideration for around 21% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredient and allergen information for the product; check whether it contains iodised baker’s salt if that matters to you. | If guests need to avoid certain ingredients, you’ll want to know exactly what’s in the bread before serving it. Around 14% of consumers give this check top priority. |
Multigrain bread isn’t automatically wholemeal. If you specifically want to serve wholemeal bread, you can’t tell from the presence of different grains alone.
Check that the product is labelled wholemeal and read the ingredients on the packaging.
A large loaf is easy to share, but it may be more than you need for a small group.
Choose a size to suit the number of guests. You could also choose smaller loaves or freeze some in advance.
The name of the bread won’t tell you which allergens the exact product contains or what type of salt was used. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, organic bread usually doesn’t contain baker’s salt; that doesn’t tell you anything about an individual product.
Check the current ingredient and allergen information. For unpackaged bread, ask for details of the product you’ve chosen before buying.
Bake-at-home bread needs preparation and oven space. For example, PLUS says its sourdough demi-baguettes need 8–10 minutes in a preheated oven at 220°C.
Read the instructions on your packaging and plan when to bake the bread so it’s ready for serving.
These bread ranges offer different options for a drinks gathering, from fresh sourdough to bake-at-home bread. Check the specific product and availability at the shop where you plan to buy it.
The OerDesem range is worth considering if you’re looking for a sourdough loaf to take centre stage on the platter.
Jumbo’s rustic sourdough loaves are a good choice if you want to pick up bread in store for your drinks gathering.
Lidl includes rustic wholemeal sourdough bread in its range of oven-fresh bread.
Bakkersgoud Rustiek spelt is a hearth-baked loaf for anyone looking for bread with grains and seeds.
Korenlanders offers both hearth loaves and sourdough demi-baguettes to bake at home.
Dirk lists multigrain and wholemeal hearth bread as separate types of bread.
These products include smaller baguettes to bake at home, a whole loaf to share and Lebanese flatbread for dips. The flatbread is a different option from the sourdough or hearth-baked bread above; focus on the size and preparation time when comparing it with your serving plans.
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The four individual baguettes are a good choice if you want to serve bread in smaller portions. They need to be defrosted and baked; check the current packaging for the baking time.
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This Lebanese flatbread is a handy option if you want to serve individual pieces with dips, rather than slice a whole loaf. Check the current packaging for allergen information before serving it to guests.
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You can serve this 550 g round loaf whole on your drinks platter and share it at the table. Allow time to defrost and bake it, and check the current packaging for the baking time and allergen information.
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This 550 g round loaf is a good choice if you want to share one loaf at your drinks gathering and are specifically looking for a wholemeal option. It needs to be defrosted and baked; check the packaging for the baking time and plan what to do with any leftovers.
Choose fresh bread if you want to serve it straight away. Opt for bake-at-home bread if you’d like to bring it fresh from the oven just before your drinks gathering and have the time and oven space. Always check the instructions on the packaging: PLUS says its sourdough demi-baguettes need 8–10 minutes at 220°C, but those instructions won’t apply to every bake-at-home loaf.
Ask for allergen information for the exact product before buying. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, this information must also be available before purchase for unpackaged food; for prepacked bread, it’s shown on the label.
No, don’t assume that it does. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt and that organic bread usually doesn’t contain it. For packaged bread, check the ingredients list for the product you’ve chosen; for unpackaged bread, ask which type of salt was used.
Plan the amount to suit the number of guests and freeze any bread you won’t use soon. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s storage guide recommends keeping opened wholemeal bread for 2–4 days in a kitchen cupboard or 1–3 months in the freezer; don’t assume these timings apply to other bread products.
