Choose a white sourdough loaf or baguette if serving style and crust matter most when you’re putting out antipasti. Choose wholemeal sourdough if wholemeal flour and fibre are more important to you. Check the ingredients and allergens for the specific loaf, and see whether it contains iodised bakers’ salt if iodine is a consideration.
With mozzarella, tomatoes, pesto or dips, you’ll want bread that’s easy to serve in small pieces or slices. A sourdough baguette is an option if you want to bake it just before eating; choose a whole loaf if you’d rather decide how thick to cut the slices yourself.
If the type of grain, fibre, salt or allergens will influence your choice, look beyond the word ‘sourdough’. Compare the ingredients and nutritional information for the loaf you’re actually buying.
Bake-at-home bread lets you choose when to serve it, but you’ll need oven space and time to prepare it. Bread baked in store is another option; check in advance whether it’s available at your local shop.
First, decide how you want to serve the bread: as small bites with antipasti or as a more substantial part of the meal. Then compare the type of grain, ingredients and preparation method of the breads that suit your chosen serving style.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Serving style and crust | Compare a baguette with a whole or sliced loaf. Check whether the bread needs to be baked before serving. | When I put bread out with antipasti, I want it to be easy to share and serve with the toppings. Around 40% of consumers give this serving style top priority. |
| Type of grain and label | Check the wholemeal flour and fibre per 100 g; also read the ingredients for allergen information and bakers’ salt. | When the bread makes up a larger part of my meal, the type of grain and the label information matter more. Around 30% of consumers put this consideration first. |
| Preparation and availability | Check whether the bread is available at your local shop and, for bake-at-home bread, follow the time and temperature on the packaging. | I want to have the bread ready in time and serve it warm without the preparation holding up dinner. This practical consideration is top priority for around 30% of consumers. |
The word sourdough alone doesn’t tell you whether a product also contains baker’s yeast. This distinction matters if you’re specifically looking for bread without added yeast.
Read the ingredients list and check whether it mentions ‘yeast’ or ‘baker’s yeast’, as well as sourdough.
Sourdough tells you something about how bread rises, not necessarily what type of flour it contains or whether it’s gluten-free. A multigrain sourdough loaf may contain grains that contain gluten.
For a wholemeal option, check the ingredients and fibre per 100 g. If you have allergies, check the allergen information for the specific loaf.
Bakers’ salt is iodised, but according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use it. The name or appearance of a loaf won’t tell you whether it contains it.
Look for ‘bakers’ salt’ or ‘iodised salt’ on the packaging, or ask which type of salt has been used if the bread is unwrapped.
Jumbo says its rustic sourdough loaves are only available in store. ALDI says its oven-fresh range is available at stores with a bakery section. Bake-at-home bread also takes time and requires suitable equipment.
Check availability at your local shop and read the preparation instructions before planning when to serve it.
These brands give you options for comparing sourdough, types of grain and serving styles. Always check the details for the specific loaf to find out about its ingredients and availability.
The sourdough range includes white, brown, wholemeal and spelt options.
Jumbo offers rustic sourdough loaves in a range of grain and flavour varieties.
Lidl lists a rustic wholemeal wheat sourdough loaf in its oven-fresh range.
ALDI features oven-fresh rustic loaves, baguettes and French sticks as alternatives for the table.
PLUS lists, among other options, a white sourdough baguette to bake at home and a brown multigrain sourdough loaf.
Dirk includes sourdough in its bread range and also lists baguettes and other types of bread.
No. Sourdough tells you something about how the bread rises, not what type of flour it contains. Check the label to see whether the bread is made with wholemeal flour, and compare the nutritional information if fibre is important to your choice.
No. Bread made with sourdough may also contain yeast. Read the ingredients list if you specifically want bread without added baker’s yeast.
Look for ‘bakers’ salt’ or ‘iodised salt’ on the packaging, or ask which type of salt has been used if the bread is unwrapped. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use bakers’ salt, so don’t assume it’s been used based on the type of bread alone.
Check the latest ingredients and allergen information for the specific loaf. ‘Sourdough’ and ‘artisan’ don’t mean that a product is free from gluten or other allergens; check for information about possible traces too.
Yes, as long as you keep an eye on how long it’s been stored and the condition of the bread. For opened wholemeal sourdough, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s Storage Guide recommends 2–4 days in a kitchen cupboard or 1–3 months in the freezer. Don’t store bread in the fridge, where it dries out according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, and throw away any mouldy bread.
