If you’re mainly looking for bread to share with dips or toppings at an Asian night, you could start with white or light-coloured sourdough, then consider the flavour and texture of the particular loaf. If wholemeal is your priority, choose a sourdough bread labelled as wholemeal. Either way, check the ingredients and allergen information, as the word ‘sourdough’ doesn’t tell you which grains have been used.
When bread is served alongside other dishes, its flavour, crust and crumb all affect how you slice and serve it. NielsenIQ cites flavour and a crisp crust as reasons for eating sourdough. Consider whether those qualities suit the way you plan to serve it.
Sourdough and wholemeal aren’t the same thing. The Voedingscentrum explains that wholemeal bread is made from the entire grain and contains more fibre than white bread. So check the product description and nutritional information per 100 g.
Sourdough made with wheat or rye isn’t automatically gluten-free. Check the allergen information for the product you choose, even if you also need to look out for other ingredients or possible traces.
First, work out which ingredients and allergens matter to you. Then compare the type of bread, its flavour and how you plan to serve it. A gluten-free label and the choice between white and wholemeal answer different questions.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Flavour and how to serve it | Check whether the bread is whole or sliced, and read about its flavour, crust and crumb. | I want to share bread with dips or toppings without letting the choice of bread dictate the rest of the menu. For around 37% of consumers, this way of serving it comes first. |
| Wholemeal and fibre | Look for the ‘wholemeal’ label and compare the fibre per 100 g. Check the ingredients if baker’s salt is relevant to your choice. | If bread also needs to be a wholemeal part of the meal, I don’t want to rely on ‘sourdough’ alone. Around 27% of consumers prioritise this nutritional choice. |
| Gluten and other allergens | For packaged bread, read the label; for unpackaged bread, ask for the allergen information. If you need a gluten-free option, check that the specific product is labelled as such. | If I have an allergen restriction, I need to know what’s in this particular bread before serving it. This check is the top priority for around 18% of consumers. |
| Availability and format | Check your chosen store and decide whether you want a whole loaf, sliced bread or bread to bake at home. | When I’ve planned a meal, I want to be able to buy the bread in time and in a useful format. For around 18% of consumers, this matters most. |
Sourdough bread can be made with white flour, wholemeal flour or a combination of the two. According to the Voedingscentrum, wholemeal bread contains more fibre than white bread, so the leavening method won’t tell you how much fibre is in the loaf you choose.
Look for ‘wholemeal’ and compare the ingredients and fibre per 100 g.
Sourdough bread can contain cereals with gluten. One example is PLUS’s wholemeal poppy seed sourdough bread, which lists wheat and rye among its ingredients.
If you need gluten-free bread, only choose a specific product labelled as gluten-free, and check for other allergens and possible traces too.
Jumbo says its sourdough breads are only available in store. ALDI says its rustic bread range is available in stores with a bakery section, but doesn’t confirm that it includes a specific sourdough option.
Before you shop, check whether your chosen store has the bread you want.
The sourdough crispbread listed by Dirk is crisp, rather than fresh bread with a soft crumb. That makes a difference if you want to slice and share bread with your meal.
Choose crispbread if that’s the crunchy format you want; otherwise, look specifically for fresh sourdough bread.
Under its AH Liefde & Passie and OerDesem ranges, Albert Heijn offers white, wholemeal, multigrain and spelt options, among others.
Jumbo describes a range of sourdough breads that includes white, wholemeal and multiseed varieties.
Lidl lists a wholemeal wheat sourdough bread, which may be worth considering if you’re specifically looking for a wholemeal option.
PLUS lists a wholemeal poppy seed sourdough bread and Yam Desem gluten-free bread, among others. Check the details of each product to make sure it meets your needs.
ALDI lists rustic breads for stores with a bakery section.
Dirk lists Wasa Knackebrod zuurdesem rogge, weighing 235 g: rye sourdough crispbread, not fresh sourdough bread.
No. Sourdough bread can be made with white flour, wholemeal flour or a mixture of the two. If you specifically want wholemeal bread for your Asian night, check the product description and ingredients.
No. Sourdough bread can contain wheat, rye or other cereals with gluten. If you need gluten-free bread, choose a specific loaf labelled as gluten-free, and also check the current product information for other allergens and possible traces.
Ask the retailer before choosing the bread. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that allergen information for unpackaged products must be made available to consumers in a way other than on a label.
You can’t tell from the label ‘sourdough’. The Voedingscentrum describes bread made with baker’s salt as a source of iodine in the Netherlands, and PLUS lists baker’s salt among the ingredients of its wholemeal poppy seed sourdough bread. If this matters to your choice, check the ingredients of the loaf you want to buy.
