Choose a wholemeal or multigrain sourdough loaf if ingredients and fibre content are your priorities. A white sourdough baguette or individual bake-at-home rolls are a better fit if you mainly want to share bread at the barbecue or serve warm portions, provided you have the time and equipment to bake them. For any type, check the current packaging for grains, allergens, salt and whether iodised salt or baker’s salt has been used.
Look for rolls or baguettes that can be prepared shortly before serving. Jumbo lists par-baked white sourdough rolls, while PLUS gives oven and air fryer cooking instructions for its sourdough baguette.
With a whole loaf, you may want to compare the types of flour, ingredients and fibre per 100 g. Product information from Albert Heijn and PLUS shows that sourdough breads can vary in these respects.
Check which grains, seeds and allergens the bread contains, and whether the ingredients list mentions iodised salt or baker’s salt. According to the Voedingscentrum, bakers are not required to use baker’s salt.
First decide whether you want to slice a whole loaf, share a baguette or serve individual rolls to each guest. Then compare the ingredients and check whether you can bake the bread at the right time.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this important to? |
|---|---|---|
| Serving and baking | Check whether the bread is par-baked and what equipment and cooking time are specified on the packaging. | If I want to serve warm rolls or pieces of baguette, I need to be able to bake them just before eating. For around 31% of consumers, ease of serving would be the first thing to consider. |
| Wholemeal and fibre | Compare the types of flour in the ingredients list and the amount of fibre per 100 g. | If I’m serving a whole loaf alongside grilled food, I want to know what it actually contains, not just that it’s sourdough. For around 25% of consumers, ingredients would be the main priority. |
| Flavour and shape | Check whether you’re buying a whole loaf, baguette or individual rolls, and whether the product contains seeds or kernels. | With dips, I want bread I can tear apart; for a filled roll, I’d rather have individual portions. Around 25% of consumers would consider the shape and flavour of the bread the most important factors. |
| Label and allergens | Read the allergen information and any ‘may contain’ statement. Check the salt per 100 g and the ingredients list for iodised salt or baker’s salt. | If a guest needs to avoid certain ingredients, I want to be able to check what’s in the bread before buying it. For around 19% of consumers, checking the label would be the main priority. |
Sourdough tells you nothing about the type of flour used. Albert Heijn lists 6.5 g of fibre per 100 g for AH Liefde & Passie Nederlands desem volkoren, while PLUS lists 3 g per 100 g for its white sourdough baguette.
If fibre content matters to you, compare the product description, ingredients and nutritional information per 100 g.
According to Albert Heijn, AH OerDesem spelt contains spelt and sesame. Other sourdough breads in this selection may also contain several grains or allergens; the name or appearance is no substitute for checking the label.
If you have relevant allergies, check the current ingredients, allergen information and any ‘may contain’ statement for the specific bread.
According to the Voedingscentrum, bakers are not required to use baker’s salt. So you can’t tell which salt has been added just from the word ‘sourdough’.
Check the ingredients list for ‘baker’s salt’ or ‘iodised salt’ if this distinction matters to you when buying.
Par-baked rolls and baguettes need an extra step before serving. This can be tricky if the oven or air fryer isn’t available during the barbecue.
Check the cooking instructions in advance. Otherwise, choose bread you can serve without baking.
Albert Heijn offers several whole sourdough loaves, including wholemeal wheat and spelt varieties, so you can compare their ingredients and nutritional information before buying.
Jumbo offers par-baked white sourdough rolls, as well as rustic sourdough loaves baked in store.
Lidl offers rustic wholemeal wheat sourdough bread and rustic spelt sourdough bread, among other options.
Aldi lists rustic loaves and baguettes in its range for stores with an in-store bakery.
PLUS offers both a white bake-at-home sourdough baguette and a brown multigrain sourdough loaf.
Dirk lists sourdough among the other types of bread in its range.
No. Sourdough doesn’t determine which type of flour is used to make the bread. Compare the product description and ingredients: Albert Heijn lists 6.5 g of fibre per 100 g for its wholemeal sourdough bread, while PLUS lists 3 g per 100 g for its white sourdough baguette.
No. According to the Voedingscentrum, bakers are not required to use baker’s salt. If you want to know which salt a particular loaf contains, check the ingredients list for ‘baker’s salt’ or ‘iodised salt’.
No. The name of the bread doesn’t tell you which allergens the specific product contains. The sourdough breads mentioned may contain wheat, spelt, other grains or sesame, among other ingredients, so always check the current allergen information and any ‘may contain’ statement.
Follow the cooking instructions for the product you’ve chosen and plan to bake it around serving time. PLUS’s white sourdough baguette is listed as taking 8–10 minutes in the oven at 220 °C or 4 minutes in the air fryer at 200 °C. Don’t assume these instructions apply to another loaf.
