If you want to serve sourdough on a sharing board, choose a loaf whose shape, crust and flavour suit the dishes, and plan to buy it close to dinner time. Part-baked bread gives you more control over when it’s served, but you’ll need oven space. If any guests need to eat gluten-free, choose bread that is explicitly labelled gluten-free: sourdough alone does not mean it’s gluten-free.
You’re looking for bread to share alongside dips, cheese or other toppings. If you can shop shortly before dinner, freshly baked sourdough from a shop is an option; Jumbo describes its sourdough loaves as having a crisp crust. Check what your local store has available.
You want to bake the bread just before serving, so you’ll need space in the oven. Check the instructions on the product you choose: PLUS recommends baking one of its sourdough baguettes for 8–10 minutes at 220 °C.
You want to know in advance whether guests prefer wholemeal bread or need to avoid certain ingredients. Check the current ingredients and allergen information for every loaf; the word sourdough doesn’t answer those questions.
Start with your guests’ dietary needs, then decide how you want to serve the bread: fresh from the shop or baked at home. If you’re choosing wholemeal, check the product name and ingredients separately.
Choose this if: you can buy the bread shortly before dinner and want to serve it straight away.
Bear in mind: availability varies by store; Jumbo says its sourdough loaves are only available in its stores.
Choose this if: you want to decide when to bake it, just before serving.
Bear in mind: you’ll need oven space and must follow the baking instructions for your chosen loaf.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who should pay particular attention? |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance and crust | Check whether the bread is available unsliced and whether its shape and crust suit the dishes you’re serving. | I want a loaf I can share at the table with dips and toppings, without having to serve it pre-sliced. For around 36% of consumers, presentation is the top priority. |
| Timing and oven space | Check whether you can serve the bread straight away or need to bake it; if it’s part-baked, follow the instructions on the packaging. | If the oven is already needed for other dishes, I want to know when the bread can go in. Around 29% of consumers put this planning first. |
| Gluten and allergens | Ask which ingredients your guests need to avoid and check the current label, including on any separate alternative. | I don’t want a guest with a specific dietary requirement to rely on the word sourdough. For around 21% of consumers, checking ingredients and allergens is the top priority. |
| Wholemeal and ingredients | Check that the bread is actually labelled wholemeal and review the ingredients and nutritional information. | As well as choosing by taste, I want to make an informed choice between white and wholemeal bread. For around 14% of consumers, the ingredients are the top priority. |
Sourdough is a way of making bread rise. Sourdough bread made with wheat, spelt, rye or barley is not gluten-free.
If you need gluten-free bread, choose a product that is explicitly labelled as such and check the current allergen information too.
If you want to serve a crusty loaf, think about when you’ll buy or bake it. The range can also vary from one store to another.
Plan when you’ll pick up or bake the bread. If you want to store it, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends freezing it in portions straight after purchase.
The colour and the word multigrain don’t, by themselves, tell you whether a loaf is wholemeal. The grains used and any allergens vary from product to product.
Read the product name, ingredients list and allergen information rather than judging by appearance alone.
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains how iodine compounds may be added to bread through bakers’ salt. This rule doesn’t mean that every individual loaf contains iodised bakers’ salt.
If a guest needs to know whether a particular loaf contains iodine, check the product information or ask the manufacturer about the recipe.
These brands offer different options to help you choose your bread. Check the specific product and what your local store has available before dinner.
Albert Heijn lists products including AH Liefde & Passie Nederlands desem volkoren.
Jumbo describes a range of freshly baked in-store sourdough loaves for anyone who wants their bread to take centre stage on the table.
Lidl offers in-store baked bread and part-baked bread to suit different serving times.
Aldi lists rustic loaves and baguettes in its oven-fresh range.
Plus lists both a small multigrain sourdough loaf and a part-baked sourdough baguette.
Dirk lists sourdough alongside wholemeal, multigrain and baguette options in its bread range.
No. Sourdough bread made with wheat, spelt, rye or barley is not gluten-free. If you need a gluten-free alternative, choose bread that is explicitly labelled gluten-free and check the current allergen information.
Choose freshly baked in-store bread if you can shop shortly before dinner and want to serve it straight away; part-baked bread is a good option if you can plan when to use the oven. Follow the instructions for your loaf: PLUS recommends baking one of its sourdough baguettes for 8–10 minutes at 220 °C.
Before you buy, ask which ingredients the guest needs to avoid and check the current label on every loaf you plan to serve. Look for any warnings about traces of allergens too, and keep any necessary alternative separate while slicing and serving.
Choose an amount that suits what you plan to serve and check the packaging for storage advice. If you want to set some bread aside in advance, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends freezing it in portions straight after purchase.
That doesn’t follow from the Dutch rule on bakers’ salt. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, iodine compounds may be added to bread through bakers’ salt, but this permitted method says nothing about the recipe or iodine content of any individual loaf. If you have a question about a specific product, ask the manufacturer about the recipe.
