When choosing sourdough bread for Sunday breakfast, don’t rely on the word ‘sourdough’ alone. Check the ingredients if you’re looking for wholemeal bread, or choose fresh bread from the shop or a bake-at-home product if serving it at a particular time is your priority. Iodised baker’s salt isn’t a given. If you need gluten-free bread, check that the product is explicitly labelled gluten-free and read the allergen information.
You’re looking for sourdough bread where you can check whether it’s wholemeal and contains iodised salt. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, using baker’s salt isn’t compulsory, so check the ingredients of the bread you choose.
You want to pick up bread from the shop shortly before breakfast or bake it at home. For this choice, the shop’s opening hours and range matter, as does how much time you have to use the oven.
You’re looking for a product that’s explicitly labelled gluten-free. Ordinary sourdough isn’t automatically gluten-free: Jumbo, for example, lists wheat in the ingredients of its white sourdough rolls.
First, check whether the bread meets any gluten-free requirements. Then compare the ingredients, whether it contains iodised salt and how much preparation suits your Sunday breakfast.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Wholemeal, fibre and iodine | Look for wholemeal flour in the ingredients, compare the fibre per 100 g and check whether iodised salt or baker’s salt is listed. | If I want wholemeal bread, I also want to be able to check which salt it contains. This combination is a priority for around 40% of consumers. |
| Crust and serving time | Check when the bread is baked and whether your chosen sourdough is available at your shop. | If you want to put the bread straight on the table, the crust matters most at the time of serving; around 30% of consumers prioritise freshness and crust. |
| Buying and baking | Check whether you need to pick up the bread from the shop or can bake it at home. If it’s a bake-at-home product, follow the instructions on the packaging. | If I want to bake it just before breakfast, I need to fit the preparation into my morning. Around 20% of consumers prioritise planning when and where to buy and prepare their bread. |
| Gluten-free labelling | Check that it’s explicitly labelled gluten-free and read the allergen information for the specific product. | If you need gluten-free bread, the product’s labelling matters more than the word ‘sourdough’; around 10% of consumers prioritise this requirement. |
Sourdough describes how the bread is made, not whether it’s made with wholemeal flour. Jumbo, for example, also sells white sourdough rolls.
Look for wholemeal flour in the ingredients and compare the fibre per 100 g if that difference matters to your choice.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, using baker’s salt isn’t compulsory. So the name ‘sourdough bread’ doesn’t tell you which salt has been used.
Check the label for iodised salt or baker’s salt. If the bread is unwrapped, ask about the ingredients.
Sourdough products can contain ingredients that contain gluten; Jumbo’s white sourdough rolls, for example, list wheat in the ingredients.
If you need gluten-free bread, choose only a product that’s explicitly labelled gluten-free and check the latest allergen information.
Jumbo says its rustic sourdough loaves, baked in store, can’t be ordered online. Lidl’s fresh bread range may vary by store.
Check what your chosen shop has in stock before you set off. A bake-at-home product lets you plan when to serve the bread, but you’ll need to allow time to prepare it.
For each of these brands, compare the specific loaf you’re considering: the word ‘sourdough’ alone says nothing about wholemeal flour, iodised salt or allergens.
Worth considering if you want to compare product information for different OerDesem and Liefde & Passie breads.
Worth considering if you want to compare rustic sourdough baked in store with white sourdough rolls to bake at home.
A good option if you want to look for fresh-from-the-oven bread and rustic wholemeal wheat sourdough in store.
Worth considering if you want to compare freshly baked bread with bread to bake at home.
Worth considering if you want to compare Korenlanders sourdough bread with sourdough products to bake at home.
Worth considering if you want to look at sourdough options alongside everyday bread while doing your shopping.
No. Sourdough doesn’t mean that a loaf is made with wholemeal flour. Jumbo sells white sourdough rolls, while Albert Heijn lists wholemeal wheat flour for AH OerDesem wholemeal Allinson. So check the ingredients of the product you choose.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, using baker’s salt isn’t compulsory. Check the label to see whether iodised salt or baker’s salt is listed in the ingredients; if the bread is unwrapped, ask about it.
Not automatically: ordinary sourdough bread can contain ingredients that contain gluten. Jumbo lists wheat in the ingredients of its white sourdough rolls, and also offers a YAM sourdough loaf that’s explicitly labelled gluten-free. When buying, always check the labelling and allergen information on the packaging you choose.
