If you want to serve bread on Sinterklaas Eve without having to use the oven, choose a whole, ready-to-serve multigrain sourdough loaf. Bake-at-home sourdough baguettes are a better choice if you want to serve the bread warm and have the time and oven space. For either option, check the ingredients, nutritional information and allergens for the guests who’ll be sharing it.
If you don’t want to plan any preparation during Sinterklaas Eve, you can put a whole, sliced multigrain sourdough loaf straight on the table. Albert Heijn offers this type of loaf as AH OerDesem donker meergranen.
If you have an oven or air fryer, bake-at-home multigrain sourdough baguettes can be a good choice for serving warm. Just allow for the preparation time stated on the packaging; PLUS gives this information for its Desem demi baguettes meergranen.
If ingredients, fibre, salt or allergens will influence your choice, compare the current packaging for each loaf. If someone has a food allergy, also check for statements about possible contact with other allergens. Don’t rely on the terms ‘multigrain’ or ‘sourdough’ alone.
First decide whether the bread needs to be ready to serve straight away or whether you’d like to bake it just before eating. Then compare the ingredients and nutritional information for the type of bread that fits your plans.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| When you’ll serve it | Check whether the bread is ready to serve or needs baking. For bake-at-home bread, check the equipment required and preparation time. | I want to have bread ready without using the oven while I have guests. For around 40% of consumers, convenience when serving straight away is the top priority. |
| Ingredients and fibre | Look for sourdough and wholemeal flour in the ingredients list, and compare fibre on a like-for-like basis, per 100 g. | If I’m choosing between loaves, I want to know what’s actually in them rather than relying on the term ‘multigrain’. Around 30% of consumers make this comparison their priority. |
| Allergens and type of salt | Read the full allergen information, including any relevant ‘may contain’ statements. Check the ingredients list if whether the salt is iodised matters to your choice. | I need to be able to check which grains and other allergens the bread contains before buying it for my guests. For around 30% of consumers, this information is their top priority. |
‘Multigrain’ and ‘sourdough’ don’t tell you how much wholemeal flour or fibre a loaf contains. Albert Heijn lists 6,6 g of fibre per 100 g for AH OerDesem donker meergranen; PLUS lists 4,9 g per 100 g for Korenlanders Desem Meergranen Boekweit. Compare figures like these per 100 g, and assess the type of bread and ingredients separately.
The amount of wholemeal flour and fibre varies from one loaf to another; the term ‘multigrain’ doesn’t tell you how much it contains.
Read the ingredients list and compare the nutritional information per 100 g if wholemeal flour or fibre is one of your criteria.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, not all bread is made with baking salt. So you can’t tell what type of salt is used from the name of the bread alone.
If it matters to your choice, check the ingredients list for a mention of iodised salt or baking salt.
Bake-at-home baguettes need time and suitable equipment. For PLUS Korenlanders Desem demi baguettes meergranen, PLUS recommends 8–10 minutes in an oven at 220 °C or 5–6 minutes in an air fryer at 200 °C.
Check the instructions on your packaging and plan to bake the bread in time for serving.
Multigrain sourdough bread may contain various gluten-containing grains and other listed allergens. The product name doesn’t give you the full picture.
Read the full allergen information before buying. If the bread is sold loose, ask for the information for that specific product.
These brands offer different types of bread: ready-to-serve sourdough, bake-at-home sourdough and bake-at-home multigrain bread where you’ll need to check whether each product contains sourdough.
Albert Heijn offers products including AH OerDesem donker meergranen and an organic OerDesem multigrain option as whole, sliced loaves.
PLUS offers both Korenlanders Desem Meergranen Boekweit and bake-at-home Desem demi baguettes meergranen.
Lidl describes Bio rustiek meergranen desembrood as an organic brown sourdough loaf with seeds and kernels, weighing 600 g.
Dirk offers a 440 g rustiek meergranen-afbakstokbrood, a multigrain baguette to bake at home.
ALDI offers various multigrain bake-at-home products, including rolls and baguettes.
These two Lekhaven Bakkerij options are multigrain baguettes that you bake after defrosting. They’re suited to a planned warm serving, rather than to anyone looking for a whole loaf that’s ready to put straight on the table.
Image unavailable
A bake-at-home baguette for anyone who wants to warm the bread just before serving and can defrost it in advance.
The product name gives the quantity as 4 × 135 g × 2. According to the preparation information, allow around four hours for defrosting before baking the baguettes in the oven; follow the instructions on the packaging.
The listed ingredients include wheat, sesame and barley malt extract. Check the full allergen information and, if it matters to your choice, whether the salt is iodised.
Image unavailable
A bake-at-home baguette for anyone who can plan serving around defrosting and using the oven.
The product name gives the quantity as 4 × 135 g. Check the total contents on the current product page or packaging before deciding how many you need. The preparation information recommends defrosting for around four hours before baking.
The listed ingredients include wheat, sesame and barley malt extract. Read the full allergen information and check the type of salt on the packaging if it matters to your choice.
As well as checking the product name, read the ingredients list and look for terms such as sourdough or wheat sourdough. ‘Multigrain’ alone doesn’t tell you whether sourdough was used; compare the stated sourdough content if the products provide this information.
Yes, if the preparation instructions for that specific bread say you can use an air fryer. PLUS recommends 5–6 minutes at 200 °C in an air fryer for Korenlanders Desem demi baguettes meergranen. Don’t assume the same time and temperature will work for another product.
No, don’t assume it does. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that bread isn’t always made with baking salt. Check the ingredients list for the bread you’re buying to see whether it mentions iodised salt or baking salt.
Don’t judge by the terms ‘multigrain’ and ‘sourdough’: the AH and PLUS products mentioned here list gluten-containing grains, including wheat. Check the full allergen information for the specific bread, and if it’s sold loose, ask for this information before buying.
Ask before buying if the information isn’t displayed next to the bread. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, retailers selling loose food must provide information about the allergens it contains. Make sure you get the details for the specific bread you’re choosing.
