Fans of a crisp late-night snack
Looking for something crunchy that you can eat on its own or with a topping, one piece at a time? Wasa describes its Sourdough Rye as thin crispbread made with sourdough and rye flour.
Who are these snacks for?
Lovers of soft slices
If you’d rather add a topping to a slice of bread, try Brood van SOMA Limburgs: a soft, sliced rye bread that the manufacturer says is made with wholegrain rye flour and sourdough.
Careful label readers
If gluten, other allergens, salt or iodised salt affect your choice, the product name alone isn’t enough. Check the ingredients and nutritional information on the packaging you buy.
What should you look for when choosing?
Start with the texture you’re after: crispbread for a crunchy snack or sliced rye bread for a soft slice. Then compare the ingredients, nutritional values and the portion you’ll actually eat, including any toppings.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Crunchiness and sourdough | Check whether sourdough is listed in the ingredients and whether the product is crispbread or soft rye bread. | If you want something crunchy to pick up late at night, you’ll be looking for a different texture from a slice of bread. For around 33% of consumers, this crisp sourdough option comes first. |
| Soft slices | Check the slice or portion size and storage instructions if you’ll be spreading the pack over several snack breaks. | A soft slice is ideal if you’d rather top your late-night snack like a slice of bread. For around 27% of consumers, this bread-like format matters most. |
| Wholegrain rye and fibre | Look for the wholegrain claim and compare fibre per 100 g; check the portion size too, to see what your snack provides. | If you mainly want to know how much wholegrain rye and fibre your choice contains, look beyond its dark colour. Around 20% of consumers prioritise this information, which you can check on the label. |
| Ingredients and label requirements | Read the allergen information, salt content and ingredient list for iodised salt or baker’s salt. | If you need to keep an eye on ingredients or salt, you’ll want to know exactly what’s in the pack before buying. For around 20% of consumers, checking the label is their top priority. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming sourdough means a particular texture
Sourdough is used in both crunchy crispbread and soft rye bread. Words such as ‘artisan’ and ‘sourdough’ on their own also don’t tell you how much wholegrain rye a product contains.
Check the product format and read the ingredients list. To check the wholegrain rye and sourdough content, look at the information on the specific pack.
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Assuming the salt is iodised
According to the Voedingscentrum, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. So you can’t tell whether the salt is iodised just from a Dutch origin or the word ‘sourdough’.
Look for iodised salt or baker’s salt on the label, or ask the baker which salt was used in the bread.
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Assuming rye sourdough is gluten-free
Rye contains gluten; fermenting it with sourdough doesn’t make ordinary rye bread or rye crispbread gluten-free. The SOMA variety mentioned also contains wheat.
If you need a gluten-free product, don’t choose based on the word ‘sourdough’. Check for an explicit gluten-free claim and read the allergen information.
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Comparing salt per piece only
A piece of crispbread and a slice of rye bread aren’t the same portion. The number of pieces you eat and your toppings affect how much salt you get from the whole snack.
First compare salt per 100 g, then work it out for the amount you eat, including any toppings.
Brands compared
Wasa
Wasa Sourdough Rye is thin, crunchy crispbread. Wasa lists 100% rye flour, wholegrain rye sourdough and 19 g of fibre per 100 g.
- The manufacturer also gives the nutritional values per piece, which is handy if you’re having one or more crackers as a snack.
- Wasa lists rye and barley, 1,20 g of salt per 100 g, and possible traces of sesame and milk. The crunchy format isn’t a substitute for a soft slice.
Brood van SOMA
Brood van SOMA Limburgs is a soft, sliced wholegrain rye bread. According to the manufacturer, this variety contains 42% wholegrain rye flour and 32% sourdough.
- The product information lists ingredients, nutritional values per slice and storage instructions.
- This variety also contains wheat and preservatives, and may contain hazelnuts. The manufacturer recommends storing it in its original packaging in a cool, dark place.
Hollandia
Albert Heijn lists a product called Hollandia Roggebrood donker zuurdesem. If you’re looking for a dark, soft rye bread, check the packaging of this variety.
- The product name makes it easy to recognise the variety on the shelf.
- Before choosing this variety, check the current packaging for ingredients, nutritional values, allergens and whether iodised salt is listed.
A crisp option on Joybuy
If you’re after a late-night snack of crunchy rye crackers made with sourdough, this is one to compare with the soft rye bread options. When choosing, focus on the difference in texture and the information on the packaging.
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Wasa sourdough rye crackers, 235 g
A crunchy option if you’d rather have a cracker than a soft slice of rye bread late at night.
Pack size: 235 g. Check the current packaging for ingredients, allergens and salt information, including whether the salt is iodised.
Frequently asked questions
Is sourdough rye bread gluten-free?
No, ordinary sourdough rye bread isn’t gluten-free: rye naturally contains gluten, as the Voedingscentrum explains. Sourdough doesn’t change that. If you need to eat gluten-free, check that the product is explicitly labelled gluten-free.
Does Dutch rye bread always contain iodised salt?
No, don’t assume it does. According to the Voedingscentrum, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. Brood van SOMA lists iodised salt in its Limburgs rye bread, but check the label of each other product separately.
How should I store soft sourdough rye bread for a later snack?
Follow the storage instructions on the packaging you buy. For Brood van SOMA Limburgs, the manufacturer recommends storing it in its original packaging in a cool, dark place. The manufacturer says that keeping it in the fridge may make the bread dry out faster.
How do I compare the salt in crispbread and soft rye bread?
First compare the same unit, then consider the portion you actually eat. Wasa lists 1,20 g of salt per 100 g for Sourdough Rye, while Brood van SOMA lists 0,8 g per 100 g for Limburgs. A cracker and a slice don’t weigh the same, so if you’re adding toppings, include their salt content too.