If you’re serving rusk with chocolate sprinkles as a sweet option at Christmas dinner, choose sourdough separately for its role as table bread. Pick a spelt or seeded loaf if you want it to stand out alongside savoury toppings, or wholemeal if the type of bread and its nutritional information matter more to you. Check the ingredients and allergens for your guests, and make sure you can buy the bread in time. Rusk with chocolate sprinkles and sourdough bread are not interchangeable.
You’re looking for sourdough bread that adds its own flavour and texture alongside cheese, dips or other savoury toppings. If you choose a loaf with grains and seeds, check that its ingredients are suitable for your guests.
You want to see whether the bread is wholemeal and which grains, seeds, allergens and types of salt it contains. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, using baker’s salt in bread is not compulsory.
You want to pick up the bread just before Christmas dinner. The rustic sourdough loaves described by Jumbo and Lidl Rustiek volkoren desembrood require a visit to a shop; check what’s available at your local branch beforehand.
If you want to serve sourdough alongside rusk with chocolate sprinkles, decide what role the bread will play at the table, then check the label and where you can buy it.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this most important to? |
|---|---|---|
| Flavour and presentation | Check the types of grain and seeds, and whether the bread is sliced. Albert Heijn lists spelt, buckwheat and seeds among the ingredients in AH Liefde & Passie OerDesem Spelt boekweit. | When I’m putting together a grazing board, I want the bread to add its own flavour and texture alongside savoury toppings. This role at the table matters most to around 50% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and nutritional information | Check whether it’s labelled wholemeal, and read the current label for grains, sesame, yeast and the type of salt. | When I’m serving bread to several guests, I want to be able to choose ingredients that suit their needs. For around 33% of consumers, this takes priority. |
| Availability | Find out whether you can order the bread or need to pick it up in a shop. Jumbo says its rustic sourdough loaves are not available to order online. | Just before dinner, I want to know where I can actually pick up the bread. Availability comes first for around 17% of consumers. |
According to Albert Heijn, AH Liefde & Passie OerDesem Spelt boekweit contains both sourdough and baker’s yeast. So the name ‘sourdough bread’ alone doesn’t tell you whether yeast has also been used.
Read the full ingredients list if the presence of yeast is an important factor for you or a guest.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, baker’s salt is not compulsory when baking bread. The word ‘artisan’ doesn’t tell you which type of salt has been used.
Check the ingredients for baker’s salt or iodised salt if this matters to you.
Albert Heijn’s spelt and buckwheat sourdough bread lists cereals containing gluten and sesame. So even if a loaf goes well with your toppings, that doesn’t mean it’s suitable for every guest.
Ask guests in advance which ingredients they need to avoid, and check the packaging of the bread you buy.
Jumbo says its rustic sourdough loaves are available in store only. ALDI says its oven-fresh range is available at shops with an in-store bakery.
Check your local branch and its opening hours in advance if you want to pick up the bread shortly before Christmas dinner.
Albert Heijn lists sourdough breads with product information for each variety, including AH Liefde & Passie OerDesem Spelt boekweit.
Jumbo describes a range of rustic sourdough breads in different grain and seed varieties.
Lidl lists Rustiek volkoren desembrood, made with wholemeal wheat.
ALDI describes oven-fresh bread at shops with an in-store bakery, including Bakkersgoud varieties.
No. According to Albert Heijn, AH Liefde & Passie OerDesem Spelt boekweit also contains baker’s yeast. If this matters to a guest, check the ingredients of the variety you want to serve.
No. Albert Heijn’s spelt and buckwheat sourdough bread lists cereals containing gluten. If a guest needs to avoid gluten, check the latest allergen information for each variety.
Check the ingredients on the packaging for baker’s salt or iodised salt. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, using baker’s salt in bread is not compulsory, so don’t rely on the words ‘sourdough’ or ‘artisan’ alone.
According to Jumbo, these loaves cannot be ordered online; they’re baked in store. Check your local branch’s opening hours and availability before setting off to shop for Christmas dinner.
It depends on the bread and its storage advice. Albert Heijn says AH Liefde & Passie OerDesem Spelt boekweit can be frozen at home on the day you buy it. For other loaves, follow the advice on their packaging.
