If you want to serve warm bread with dinner, gluten-free bake-at-home rolls fit the bill. For appetisers you want to prepare in advance, sliced gluten-free multigrain bread is more practical. If your guest avoids gluten because of coeliac disease, check the label and make sure ordinary bread crumbs don’t get onto the bread during preparation or at the table. Also check for other allergens, how much bread you’ll need and the preparation instructions on the pack you choose.
You want to serve bread labelled gluten-free and keep ordinary bread crumbs away from the preparation area and table. According to the Voedingscentrum, even a small amount of gluten, such as a bread crumb, can cause symptoms in someone with coeliac disease. If your guest has a wheat allergy, check the product’s allergen information separately too.
You’re looking for a small number of rolls to serve with soup, dips or a sharing breadboard. Bake-at-home rolls are a good option if you have time just before eating and a clean surface to prepare them on.
You want to top slices or prepare portions before your guest arrives. Sliced bread or a whole multiseed loaf is then a better fit for your plans than rolls that still need baking.
First, check which label and allergen information your guest needs. Then choose between baking the bread warm or preparing toppings in advance, and make sure the pack size suits the number of people eating.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Serving gluten-free bread | Check the gluten-free label and allergen information on the pack; use clean preparation and serving utensils. | If my guest has coeliac disease, I want to keep ordinary bread crumbs away from their bread. For around 36% of consumers, gluten-free suitability is the top priority when choosing. |
| Serving warm bread | Compare the number of rolls and the baking time; check whether the chosen variety has oven or air fryer instructions. | I want to serve the rolls warm with the meal and can bake them just beforehand. For around 29% of consumers, serving bread warm is the most important factor. |
| Preparing toppings in advance | Check whether the bread is sliced and how many slices are in the pack. | When I prepare the appetisers ahead of time, I want to be able to portion the bread easily. For around 21% of consumers, being able to prepare in advance is the main consideration. |
| Quantity and storage | Choose a pack size to suit the meal and read the storage and freezing advice for the exact variety. | With two people eating, I don’t want to open more bread than I can use or store according to the label. Around 14% of consumers give this consideration top priority. |
Multigrain describes the grains used, not whether the bread is free from gluten. Multigrain bread can also contain gluten-containing grains.
For a gluten-free meal, check that the pack is explicitly labelled gluten-free. Don’t rely on words such as multigrain, seeds or fibre alone.
If someone has coeliac disease, crumbs from ordinary bread can make gluten-free bread unsuitable. The Voedingscentrum warns that even a stray bread crumb can cause symptoms.
Use clean baking and serving utensils, and keep ordinary bread separate from the gluten-free portions.
Gluten-free doesn’t mean free from soya, egg, milk or other allergens. The ingredients present, or that may be present, vary from product to product.
If your guest also needs to avoid other ingredients, read the ingredients and allergen information on the exact pack.
The mention of iodised salt on one bread pack tells you nothing about the ingredients in another loaf. For example, Jumbo lists it in the ingredients of its Lekker Vrij van Gluten Meerzaden Brood.
If the presence of iodised salt matters to your choice, check the ingredients list of the bread you want to serve.
Schär offers both gluten-free multigrain rolls to bake at home and sliced Meesterbakker Mehrkorn bread.
AH Glutenvrij’s multiseed rolls come in packs of two, making them a good fit for a small meal.
The Meerzaden Brood from this Jumbo range is a whole gluten-free loaf, rather than a pack of individual bake-at-home rolls.
PLUS’s online bread range includes both gluten-free multiseed products and Schär Meesterbakker Mehrkorn.
Consenza offers a gluten-free multigrain bread mix for anyone who wants to bake their own loaf.
Not necessarily: multigrain bread can also contain gluten-containing grains. Choose a pack labelled gluten-free and prevent contact with crumbs from ordinary bread during preparation and serving.
Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, a food sold to consumers in the EU may be labelled gluten-free if it contains no more than 20 mg of gluten per kg. Always check the latest allergen information for the bread you choose too.
Use a clean baking tray or clean baking paper, clean utensils and a separate serving plate. Don’t serve gluten-free bread in the same basket as ordinary bread: according to the Voedingscentrum, even a stray bread crumb can cause symptoms in someone with coeliac disease.
No, you can’t assume that of every loaf. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority sets a maximum of 65 mg of iodine per kg of baker’s salt; that limit doesn’t tell you what salt has been used in your bread. Check the ingredients list on the pack you choose.
It depends on the variety and the instructions on the pack. Schär recommends using its multigrain rolls within a few days of opening or freezing them straight away. By contrast, according to Albert Heijn, AH Glutenvrij Meerzaden rolls aren’t suitable for home freezing.
