Choose a multigrain sourdough bread labelled wholemeal if the type of flour and fibre content matter most to you: ‘multigrain’ and ‘sourdough’ alone don’t mean that a loaf is wholemeal. If you’re mainly looking for a crust that goes well with your savoury breakfast, compare fresh bakery bread with bake-at-home bread, and check the ingredients, allergens and salt per 100 g for both.
You want bread with a clearly stated wholemeal base for your savoury toppings, not just a dark colour or visible seeds. According to the Voedingscentrum, multigrain bread can also be made with white flour, so check the product description, ingredients and fibre per 100 g.
You choose bread for its sourdough flavour and crust, to go with savoury toppings. Jumbo describes its sourdough range as made with fresh sourdough starter and left to rise for more than 24 hours; the brand also includes a brown multigrain option in the range. Check separately whether the loaf you buy is wholemeal.
You want to enjoy bread when it suits your morning, without having to eat a whole loaf at once. Bake-at-home bread needs to be prepared just before serving; regular bread can be frozen in portions. The Voedingscentrum recommends storing wholemeal bread in the freezer for 1 to 3 months.
First decide whether a wholemeal base, sourdough flavour or the way it’s prepared matters most to you. Then compare the ingredients and nutritional information for the specific loaves that meet your needs.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Wholemeal base and fibre | Look for ‘wholemeal’ in the product description and compare the ingredients and fibre per 100 g. The word ‘multigrain’ alone isn’t enough. | If I’m choosing bread to go with savoury toppings, I want to focus on the type of flour and fibre, rather than judging by the dark colour. Around 33% of consumers put wholemeal and fibre first. |
| Sourdough flavour and crust | Check whether the product mentions sourdough and whether the bread is sold fresh or needs to be baked at home. | For my savoury breakfast, I’m mainly looking for the flavour and crust of sourdough; I’ll check separately whether the bread is wholemeal. For around 27% of consumers, the sourdough experience matters most. |
| Ingredients, salt and allergens | Read the current ingredients and allergen information; compare salt per 100 g and check whether iodised salt is listed. | If I need to watch out for specific ingredients, I want to check the bread itself rather than rely on its name. Around 20% of consumers put checking ingredients first. |
| Preparation and storage | Check whether you need to buy the bread in store, whether it needs baking and whether you can freeze any portions you don’t use. | I want to be able to grab some bread on a busy morning, or bake some just before breakfast without wasting the rest. Around 20% of consumers give convenience and storage top priority. |
Several types of grain, seeds or a dark colour don’t tell you which flour forms the base. The Voedingscentrum says that multigrain bread can also be made with white flour.
Look specifically for ‘wholemeal’ in the product description, and compare the ingredients and fibre per 100 g for the loaves you’re considering.
Sourdough starter and added yeast can both be used in the same recipe. For AH OerDesem donker meergranen, Albert Heijn lists baker’s yeast as well as sourdough starter.
If you want bread without added yeast, read the full, up-to-date ingredients list rather than relying on the name on the front of the pack.
Recipes vary: the breads mentioned from Albert Heijn and PLUS list iodised salt and cereals containing gluten. Their salt content per 100 g is different too.
Check the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information on the current label for the specific bread.
A whole loaf is less practical if you only use a few slices. Jumbo also says its freshly baked sourdough breads are only available in store, while Lidl notes that its fresh range may vary by branch.
If needed, freeze regular bread in portions as soon as you get it, or choose a bake-at-home product if you’d like to prepare it just before breakfast.
These examples show different types of multigrain bread and sourdough. Check the latest product information for the option you want to buy: not every multigrain bread mentioned is also a sourdough bread.
AH OerDesem donker meergranen is a sliced wholemeal multigrain sourdough bread for anyone looking for a clearly labelled wholemeal option.
Jumbo includes a brown multigrain option in its range of freshly baked sourdough breads.
PLUS Korenlanders meergranenstokbrood met desem bereid is a bake-at-home option for anyone who wants to prepare bread just before breakfast.
Lidl lists a 600 g Bio rustiek meergranen desembrood with seeds and grains.
ALDI Boeren volkoren meergranen is a sliced multigrain bread for anyone who prioritises wholemeal over a clearly labelled sourdough option.
Dirk offers bread categories including multigrain, wholemeal and sourdough; its vloerbrood meergranen is one specific example.
No. ‘Multigrain’ and ‘sourdough’ don’t tell you whether the flour used is wholemeal. According to the Voedingscentrum, multigrain bread can also be made with white flour. Look for ‘wholemeal’ in the product description and check the ingredients if that’s what you’re looking for.
No, bread made with sourdough starter may also contain added yeast. For AH OerDesem donker meergranen, Albert Heijn lists both sourdough starter and baker’s yeast. Read the current ingredients list if avoiding added yeast is important to you.
You can’t tell from the name of the bread. The multigrain sourdough products mentioned from Albert Heijn and PLUS list iodised salt, but check the ingredients on the current label of any other bread.
Read the allergen information for the specific bread. The products mentioned from Albert Heijn and PLUS contain cereals with gluten; PLUS also notes that its multigrain sourdough baguette may contain, among other things, sesame and mustard. According to the Voedingscentrum, allergens must be clearly listed on the label.
Ideally, freeze any bread you won’t use soon in portions straight away. As a general guideline for opened wholemeal bread, the Voedingscentrum recommends 2 to 4 days in a kitchen cupboard and 1 to 3 months in the freezer; also follow the storage instructions on the product itself.
