Choose freshly baked rolls from the in-store bakery if you don’t want to make time for baking before coffee. Bake-at-home rolls let you choose when to bake them, but you’ll need time and space in your oven or air fryer. If you’re also choosing between white and multigrain, compare the wholemeal flour content, fibre per 100 g and allergens for the specific product.
If you don’t want to bake rolls at home, rolls from the in-store bakery are one option. Check which rolls your local branch has before coffee, and ask about ingredients and allergens if you’re buying loose rolls.
Bake-at-home rolls let you plan the baking just before serving. Read the pack instructions, and remember to allow for preheating and the space available in your oven or air fryer.
If you’re looking for a roll made specifically with wholemeal flour, look beyond the word ‘multigrain’. Compare the wholemeal flour content, fibre per 100 g and allergen information for each product.
First decide whether you want to serve the rolls straight away or bake them at home. Then compare the ingredients and pack size with what you need for coffee.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| When you’re serving | Check whether the rolls are fresh from the in-store bakery or need baking at home. For bake-at-home rolls, check the cooking time and equipment required. | If I want to put the rolls straight on the table, I don’t want to bake them at home first; around 42% of consumers prioritise when they can be served. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the wholemeal flour content, fibre per 100 g and full allergen information on the label. | If the ingredients matter to my guests, I want to know what’s in each roll. Around 33% of consumers prioritise this choice of ingredients. |
| Portions and storage | Compare the number of rolls in each pack and check how to store any you don’t use. | For a small gathering, I don’t want to prepare more rolls than I need, and I want to be able to store the rest; portion planning matters most to around 25% of consumers. |
The name ‘multigrain’ doesn’t tell you how much wholemeal flour a roll contains. So the name alone isn’t a reliable way to compare fibre content.
Read the ingredients list and compare fibre per 100 g. For the multigrain rolls it reviewed, PLUS lists 56% wholemeal wheat flour and 7 g of fibre per 100 g.
Preheating and baking several batches can delay serving, even if the stated baking time for each batch is short.
Check the instructions on your pack and allow enough time and oven space for the number of rolls you want to serve.
According to the Dutch Bakery Centre, the use of iodised baker’s salt isn’t a legal requirement. So the product category won’t tell you what kind of salt a particular roll contains.
Check the ingredients list if the type of salt used is important to your choice.
These supermarket examples show the product information that can be useful when making a choice. The range may vary by product and branch.
Albert Heijn describes a brown roll that’s baked in store.
Jumbo’s roll range includes white, mixed-seed and brown frozen varieties.
PLUS lists white and multigrain rolls for baking at home, with ingredients and preparation details for each product.
Dirk lists both loose rolls and packs of white rolls for baking at home.
Lidl describes a white roll as a white wheat roll from its in-store range.
ALDI lists a loose white roll as well as rolls for baking at home.
Choose based on the ingredients you want, not just the colour or product name. According to PLUS, the multigrain rolls reviewed contain 56% wholemeal wheat flour and 7 g of fibre per 100 g, compared with 2.7 g of fibre per 100 g in the white PLUS rolls reviewed. Also check the allergens for the variety you’re buying.
It depends on the product and the appliance you use. For the white rolls reviewed, PLUS recommends 6–8 minutes in the oven at 220 °C or 4 minutes in a preheated air fryer at 200 °C. For the multigrain variety reviewed, it’s 8–10 minutes in the oven at 220 °C or 4 minutes in the air fryer at 200 °C. Follow the instructions on your pack and allow time for preheating.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, freeze bread in portions as soon as you buy it if you want to use it later, and take out only what you need. If the pack is unopened, also follow the storage instructions and use-by date on the label.
Don’t assume so: according to the Dutch Bakery Centre, the use of iodised baker’s salt isn’t a legal requirement. Check the ingredients list for the specific roll if the type of salt used is important to your choice.
Check the allergen information for the specific product, and ask for product details if you’re buying loose rolls. The white and multigrain PLUS rolls reviewed contain cereals containing gluten; PLUS also notes that the multigrain variety reviewed may contain soya, milk and sesame.
