Choose a rustic sourdough loaf if crust and flavour are your priorities for the barbecue, wholemeal sourdough if you want to compare flour types and fibre, or a bake-at-home sourdough baguette if you’d like to serve warm bread just before eating. Check the ingredients, allergens and preparation instructions for each product: the word ‘sourdough’ doesn’t tell you whether the bread also contains yeast or is made with iodised salt.
If you’re serving bread with grilled dishes, dips or toppings, the crust, flavour and type of loaf may matter more than being able to order it quickly. Jumbo describes its rustic sourdough breads as crusty, made with fresh sourdough starter and left to rise for more than 24 hours.
Would you like to check the wholemeal flour and fibre content, or take your guests’ allergens into account? Compare the ingredients list and nutritional information for each loaf rather than relying on the name ‘sourdough’ alone.
If you want to bake the bread just before serving, check the cooking time and make sure it fits in your oven or air fryer. PLUS gives separate instructions for preparing its white sourdough baguette in each appliance.
First decide how you want to serve the bread, then compare the ingredients and preparation required for each product.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Crust and flavour | Check which type of sourdough you’re buying and whether the bread is freshly baked. Jumbo describes its sourdough breads as crusty and left to rise for more than 24 hours. | I serve bread with dips and grilled dishes, so I’m mainly looking for a crust and sourdough flavour that go well with them. Around 40% of consumers prioritise flavour and crust. |
| Ingredients and nutritional information | Compare the type of flour and fibre per 100 g. Check the allergen information too if it’s relevant to your guests. | If I want to serve wholemeal bread, I want to compare the type of flour and fibre and take allergens into account. Ingredients and nutritional information are the deciding factors for around 30% of consumers. |
| When to bake | Check the baking instructions and make sure the bread fits in your appliance. PLUS recommends baking its white sourdough baguette in the oven for 8–10 minutes at 220 °C, or for 4 minutes at 200 °C in a preheated air fryer. | Just before eating, I want to be able to bake the bread without interrupting the rest of the barbecue preparations. Baking time is the top priority for around 30% of consumers. |
A product name doesn’t tell the whole story: according to its product information, PLUS’s white sourdough baguette contains both 11% sourdough starter and yeast.
Check the ingredients list if you’re specifically looking for bread with no added yeast.
These words describe different properties. Bread sold as wholemeal or multigrain isn’t necessarily sourdough.
Check the type of flour and separately confirm whether sourdough is listed for the specific product.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, the use of baker’s salt in bread isn’t compulsory. Its presence therefore varies from product to product.
Check the ingredients list for baker’s salt or iodised salt. If it matters to your choice, ask about it when buying unwrapped bread.
Sourdough bread may contain cereals containing gluten and other relevant allergens. Warnings about possible cross-contamination can also vary between products.
Check the label before buying or ask for allergen information when buying unwrapped bread. That way, you can take into account the needs of the guests you’re buying bread for.
A specific wholemeal sourdough loaf with ingredients and nutritional information you can compare.
A way to shop in store for rustic sourdough breads in a range of varieties.
An option if you want to compare a specific wholemeal sourdough loaf with bread from the barbecue range.
An option if you want to bake a sourdough baguette at home.
An in-store option for browsing freshly baked and bake-at-home bread.
A supermarket option with sourdough and bake-at-home baguettes among its range of breads.
No, you can’t tell from the name alone: PLUS lists both 11% sourdough starter and yeast in its white sourdough baguette. Check the ingredients list of the bread you want to buy.
No, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre says the use of baker’s salt in bread isn’t compulsory. Check the ingredients list for baker’s salt or iodised salt, or ask about it when buying unwrapped bread if it matters to your choice.
Ask for allergen information about the specific bread before buying. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergen information for prepacked products must appear on the label. For unwrapped products, the seller must make it available in another way.
You can, as long as the storage instructions for the bread you choose fit your plans. Albert Heijn says that AH Liefde & Passie Nederlands desem volkoren can be frozen on the day of purchase. For other breads, follow their own storage advice and allow time to defrost before serving.
