Lunch shoppers looking for sourdough
You want to buy a sandwich and it matters to you that the bread is made with a sourdough starter or sourdough. An artisan look or a long preparation time doesn’t confirm this.
Who is this distinction important to?
Snack shoppers
You’re looking for spiced breakfast cake or spiced cake to have alongside or after lunch. In that case, individually wrapped bars, sliced portions and how easy they are to take with you may matter more than the type of bread you choose.
Shoppers comparing nutritional information
You’re choosing between cakes and want to compare fibre, sugars and salt per 100 g. The ingredients list can also help you assess claims on the front of the packaging.
What should you look for when choosing?
Sourdough bread
Choose this if: you want a sandwich as the basis for lunch and sourdough is a deciding factor for you.
Keep in mind: the word sourdough on its own doesn’t tell you whether the bread is wholemeal. Check both qualities separately.
Spiced breakfast cake or spiced cake
Choose this if: you want a sweet, spiced snack with lunch, perhaps in a pack that’s easy to take with you.
Keep in mind: the cakes reviewed list raising agents, not a sourdough starter. So a cake isn’t a substitute for choosing a sandwich when sourdough is what you’re looking for.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sourdough as the basis for lunch | Look for a starter or sourdough in the product information, or ask the baker how the bread was leavened. | When I buy a sandwich for lunch, I want to know whether it really is sourdough and not just bread with an artisan-sounding name. For around 38% of consumers, this confirmation is the most important condition when buying. |
| Cake ingredients | Compare similar cakes by fibre, sugars and salt per 100 g; also read the ingredients and allergen information. | When choosing between cakes, I want to be able to assess what’s in them without relying solely on a claim on the front of the pack. Around 37% of consumers prioritise this comparison. |
| Taking it with you and portioning | Check whether the cake comes as individually wrapped bars, sliced portions or one unsliced piece, and check the amount per piece. | For lunch on the go, I want to be able to take a portion with me without having to slice a whole cake first. For around 25% of consumers, this convenience is the top priority. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming a long preparation time means it’s sourdough
Albert Heijn says that Bolletje Natural Sliced Breakfast Cake has a baking process of at least 24 hours. That doesn’t confirm that the cake is made with a sourdough starter; its ingredients include a raising agent.
If you’re looking for sourdough bread, check the product description or ask the baker. Choose spiced breakfast cake as a separate product in its own right.
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Using a sugar claim as a complete nutritional comparison
Cakes can differ not only in their sugar content, but also in fibre, salt and ingredients. A claim such as ‘less sugar’ doesn’t tell you how the overall nutritional value compares with that of another cake.
Compare the nutritional information for similar cakes per 100 g, and check the ingredients list and allergen information.
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Assuming all spiced breakfast cakes contain bakers’ salt
You can’t tell which type of salt has been used in a particular cake just from the spiced breakfast cake category. Bakers’ salt isn’t automatically an ingredient in every bakery product, either.
If the type of salt matters to your choice, read the ingredients or ask the manufacturer or baker.
Brands to compare
These examples show which differences between spiced breakfast cakes and spiced cakes may be relevant; a brand name on its own says nothing about whether sourdough is used.
Peijnenburg
Peijnenburg offers, among other products, natural spiced breakfast cake and a sliced wholemeal version with no added sugars.
- According to Peijnenburg, the wholemeal version contains 17 g of fibre per 100 g. If you’re comparing it with the natural version, check the other nutritional values and ingredients too.
- The ingredients reviewed list raising agents; the wholemeal label doesn’t confirm that it’s sourdough.
Albert Heijn
AH Organic Natural Spiced Breakfast Cake is an example for anyone specifically looking for an organic spiced breakfast cake.
- Albert Heijn’s product information lists ingredients including rye flour and vinegar.
- Organic doesn’t mean the cake is leavened with sourdough: the listed ingredients include sodium carbonates as a raising agent. Check the current packaging when you buy it.
Snelle Jelle
The spiced cake version reviewed comes as individually wrapped bars, making it handy to take with you.
- Albert Heijn lists this pack as containing five bars, each weighing 50 g.
- A ‘less sugar’ claim doesn’t make a comparison per 100 g unnecessary. The product information reviewed doesn’t confirm the use of a sourdough starter.
Bolletje
The natural spiced breakfast cake reviewed is sliced, which is useful if you want to portion it into slices.
- Albert Heijn’s product information lists a 500 g pack.
- The long preparation time listed isn’t proof that it’s sourdough; the ingredients include raising agent E500. Check the allergen information on the packaging too.
Spiced cake as a snack with lunch
This Joybuy pick is for anyone who wants to take spiced cake along as a separate snack with lunch, not for anyone looking for a sourdough sandwich.
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Snelle Jelle spiced cake, 5 bars of 50 g
The five individually wrapped bars are made to take with you as a separate spiced cake snack alongside lunch.
This isn’t an option for a sourdough sandwich. Don’t rely on a sugar claim in the product name, either: compare the sugars per 100 g and read the ingredients on the packaging.
Frequently asked questions
How can I check whether bread for lunch is made with sourdough?
Look for a starter or sourdough in the product information, or ask the baker how the bread was leavened. A long preparation time or artisan appearance doesn’t confirm this.
Can spiced breakfast cake replace a sourdough sandwich?
Not if you specifically want a sourdough sandwich as the basis for lunch. Treat spiced breakfast cake as a separate cake option, and only assume a particular product contains sourdough if the product information confirms it.
How can I compare the sugar and fibre in spiced breakfast cakes?
Compare the nutritional information for similar cakes per 100 g and read the ingredients list as well. A comparison per portion may give you a different picture if the portion sizes vary.
Can I assume spiced breakfast cake contains iodised bakers’ salt?
No, you can’t tell that from the name spiced breakfast cake. Check the ingredients or ask the manufacturer or baker which type of salt was used in the specific product.
How should I store spiced breakfast cake after opening?
Follow the storage instructions on the packaging for your cake. Albert Heijn’s product information recommends storing AH Organic Natural Spiced Breakfast Cake in a sealed tin after opening; for Bolletje Natural Sliced Breakfast Cake, it recommends keeping it in a sealed container.