Who are these options for?

Hosts who want to serve warm bread

You want to serve bread with dips, cheese or savoury toppings and have time to bake it just before eating. If so, check the baking instructions for your chosen bread.

Families keeping an eye on fibre

When choosing bread for a holiday snack, it helps to be able to tell wholemeal, brown and white bread apart. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, wholemeal bread is made from wholemeal flour; ‘sourdough’ doesn’t tell you whether it’s wholemeal.

Shoppers with questions about allergens or iodine

You want to know before buying which grains and allergens are in a particular loaf, and whether the ingredients list mentions baker’s salt or iodised salt. If the bread is sold loose, you can ask for allergen information.

What should you look for?

First decide whether you want to serve topped slices, warm bread to bake at home or a crunchy cracker; then compare the information that matters most for your choice.

What to consider What to check when buying Who it matters to
Type of grain and fibre Look for the word ‘wholemeal’ and compare the fibre per 100 g; brown multigrain bread may also contain white flour. If I’m making topped slices for the family, I want to know which grains are in the bread rather than relying on the word ‘sourdough’. For around 31% of consumers, the choice of grain is the most important factor.
Serving warm Check whether the bread needs baking and follow the time and temperature on the packaging. For a sharing platter with dips, I want to serve warm bread just before eating. This serving moment is the priority for around 25% of consumers.
Allergens Read the label, including any warnings about cross-contamination; ask for allergen information if the bread is sold loose. If someone eating with us has an allergy, I want to be able to check the information before buying. For around 19% of consumers, this is the top priority.
Salt used If iodine matters to you, look for ‘baker’s salt’ or ‘iodised salt’ in the ingredients list. I don’t want to guess which salt has been used based on the type of bread; I want to check the packaging. For around 13% of consumers, this is the most important thing to consider.
Availability and storage Find out whether in-store bakery bread is available locally, or choose bread to bake at home or crispbread if that better suits your plans. If I’m buying snacks in advance, I want to know whether I’ll need to visit a shop just before eating. For around 12% of consumers, this planning is the deciding factor.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming ‘sourdough’ means ‘wholemeal’

    Sourdough refers to how the bread is made, not how much wholemeal flour it contains. The brown multigrain sourdough bread described by PLUS contains both wholemeal wheat flour and white wheat flour.

    Look for the wholemeal label and, if fibre is a priority, compare the nutritional information per 100 g.

  • Assuming all bread contains iodised salt

    According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers in the Netherlands aren’t required to use baker’s salt; non-iodised salt is often used in organic bread.

    Check the label of the bread you’re buying to see whether baker’s salt or iodised salt is listed in the ingredients.

  • Checking allergens only after buying

    For sourdough bread, too, the ingredients of the specific product are what matter. If bread is sold loose in a shop, this information may not be available on packaging you can take away.

    Read the label on packaged bread and ask for allergen information before buying bread sold loose. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says this information must be available for unpackaged foods.

  • Planning for in-store bakery bread as if it were an online order

    Jumbo says its rustic sourdough loaves are baked in store and can’t be ordered online. ALDI says its oven-fresh bread is available in stores with an in-store bakery.

    Check what’s available at your local shop if you’re choosing a specific in-store bakery loaf. If a shop visit doesn’t fit your plans, look for bread to bake at home or a long-life cracker.

Brands to consider

These brands offer different types of bread. For your chosen option, always check the exact product and its current packaging.

Albert Heijn

Albert Heijn offers options including AH Liefde & Passie Nederlands desem volkoren, AH OerDesem volkoren Allinson and a spelt and buckwheat sourdough variety.

  • The product names give you a helpful starting point when looking for a wholemeal option.
  • Check the packaging or current product information for the ingredients, nutritional values and allergens of your chosen variety.

Jumbo

Jumbo distinguishes between rustic sourdough loaves baked in store and pre-baked white sourdough tear-and-share bread.

  • For a warm sharing platter, you can choose between in-store bakery bread and a product you bake at home.
  • Jumbo says its rustic sourdough loaves are only available in store and can’t be ordered online; the white tear-and-share bread is a different product.

PLUS

PLUS offers Korenlanders sourdough bread in varieties including brown multigrain and wholemeal, as well as white baguette made with sourdough.

  • For its Kleintje desembrood bruin meergranen, PLUS lists 27% wholemeal wheat flour, 23% white wheat flour and 5.3 g of fibre per 100 g. Here, a brown colour and several grains don’t mean the bread is entirely wholemeal.
  • The baking instructions for the white baguette to bake at home don’t automatically apply to other PLUS breads.

Lidl

Lidl describes a 600 g organic brown multigrain sourdough bread with seeds.

  • The product description makes it easier to find the type of bread you’re after if you want multigrain sourdough.
  • Check the information for the specific loaf to find out exactly which grains it contains, along with its allergens and nutritional information.

ALDI

ALDI offers various oven-fresh and freshly baked breads as alternatives for a sharing platter.

  • At a store with an in-store bakery, you can find out which fresh breads are available for your snack occasion.
  • ALDI says oven-fresh bread is available in stores with an in-store bakery. Check whether each loaf is actually a sourdough variety.

Dirk

Dirk offers 235 g Wasa Knackebrod sourdough rye as a crunchy option.

  • Crispbread is a different base for toppings on a snack table from bread that you slice or bake at home.
  • It’s crispbread, not fresh sourdough or a warm baguette to bake at home.

Joybuy products for your snack selection

If you’re looking for a crunchy sourdough cracker to top, this crispbread is one option. A cracker is no substitute for fresh bread or warm bread baked at home on a sharing platter.

Wasa Sourdough Rye Crackers, 235 g pack

Wasa Sourdough Rye Crackers, 235 g

A sourdough rye cracker for a crunchy snack with toppings, rather than a warm bread platter.

Pack size: 235 g. Check the current ingredients and allergen information on the packaging, and look at the salt used if iodine matters to you.

View at Joybuy

Frequently asked questions

Is sourdough bread automatically wholemeal?

No. Sourdough and wholemeal describe different properties of bread. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, wholemeal bread is made from 100% wholemeal flour; brown bread can combine wholemeal flour and white flour. For its Kleintje desembrood bruin meergranen, PLUS lists both 27% wholemeal wheat flour and 23% white wheat flour.

Does sourdough bread always contain iodine?

No. The name sourdough bread doesn’t tell you whether iodised salt has been used. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that bakers in the Netherlands aren’t required to use baker’s salt. So check whether ‘baker’s salt’ or ‘iodised salt’ is listed in the ingredients for the specific loaf.

Can I bake a sourdough baguette in an air fryer?

Yes, if the instructions for your chosen bread include air fryer cooking. For its white sourdough baguette, PLUS recommends baking for 4 minutes at 200 °C in a preheated air fryer; for an oven, PLUS recommends 8–10 minutes at 220 °C. Don’t assume these timings are suitable for a different baguette.

How do I check allergens in sourdough bread sold loose?

Ask for allergen information about the specific bread before buying. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, this information must also be available for unpackaged foods. If it’s given verbally, it must be clear that you can ask for it.