If you specifically want sourdough breakfast cake for your Christmas brunch, choose one only when the baker or packaging confirms that a sourdough starter has been used. If serving it quickly is more important, choose a ready-made breakfast cake based on its size, ingredients and nutritional information. Wholemeal flour or an artisan appearance alone doesn’t prove that it was made using sourdough.
You’re looking for a breakfast cake that’s confirmed to have been made using sourdough, not one that simply looks artisanal. Ask the baker which starter was used and allow time for preparation. Jumbo says it takes 3 to 6 days to make a starter.
You want to be able to slice or serve the breakfast cake without baking it first. A pre-sliced cake or individually portioned pack could be practical; check the flavour, ingredients and nutritional information for each variety.
For you, factors such as cereals containing gluten, potential allergens or the type of salt used may be decisive. Check the current packaging or ask the baker about the ingredients rather than relying on the name of the cake.
Choose this if: using a sourdough starter matters more to you than convenience.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to confirm the process with the baker or on the packaging, and may need to plan ahead.
Choose this if: for your Christmas brunch, you’re mainly looking for a suitable flavour, pack or nutritional profile.
Bear in mind: a wholemeal, ginger or reduced-sugar variety isn’t automatically sourdough breakfast cake.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it’s for |
|---|---|---|
| Sourdough process | Ask whether a sourdough starter was used; don’t rely solely on the words ‘wholemeal’ or ‘artisan’. | If I specifically want a cake made using a confirmed sourdough process for Christmas brunch, I’d rather plan ahead than rely on how it looks. For around 33% of consumers, certainty about the process comes first. |
| Grains and nutritional value | Compare the type of grain, fibre and sugars per 100 g, then check the portion size. | When choosing a cake for the table, I mainly want to know how the wholemeal base and sugar content compare with my preferences. Around 25% of consumers put this information first. |
| Flavour and serving | Choose a flavour and check whether the cake is pre-sliced, unsliced or individually portioned; also check current availability. | For a brunch I want to serve without extra preparation, flavour and a convenient size matter most. This is the top priority for around 25% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredients and allergen information; if necessary, ask the baker which type of salt was used. | When I need to check ingredients for my guests, the label takes priority over choosing based on flavour or convenience. This check comes first for around 17% of consumers. |
Wholemeal breakfast cake doesn’t have to be made using sourdough. Peijnenburg lists the raising agents sodium hydrogen carbonate and disodium diphosphate for its pre-sliced wholemeal variety.
If you specifically want a sourdough process, ask exactly which starter and raising method were used.
A claim about having less or no added sugar doesn’t tell you how much total sugar and fibre a portion contains, or how the cake was raised.
Compare the nutritional information per 100 g, check the portion size and read the ingredients list too.
You can’t tell which type of salt was used from the name breakfast cake, sourdough or artisan.
Check the ingredients list or ask the baker which salt has been used in the cake.
A product listed online doesn’t mean the variety you want will be in your local shop when you do your Christmas food shopping.
Check availability shortly before buying and decide in advance which other size or flavour would also work for you.
Offers a pre-sliced wholemeal breakfast cake, among other flavours and sizes.
Its breakfast cake range includes different sizes and flavours, including wholemeal and ginger.
Offers wholemeal, ginger, raisin and reduced-sugar varieties of breakfast cake, among others.
Under this brand, ALDI offers a pre-sliced Zero breakfast cake and an unsliced ginger variety, among other products.
Offers Peijnenburg breakfast cake in plain and individually portioned packs, among other options.
Lists luxury breakfast cake and Tastino breakfast cake.
Ask whether a sourdough starter was used and check what the producer or baker says about the raising method. Rye, wholemeal flour or an artisan appearance alone doesn’t confirm a sourdough process.
Not necessarily: wholemeal describes the grain base, not the raising method. Peijnenburg lists chemical raising agents for its pre-sliced wholemeal breakfast cake; check other varieties individually if you’re specifically looking for sourdough.
Read the allergen and ingredients information on the current packaging and check which grains the cake contains. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains how allergens must be listed on the labels of pre-packed foods; don’t rely solely on the product name or an online category.
Check the ingredients list for the type of salt, or ask the baker. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, you can’t assume that every baker uses bakers’ salt; the name sourdough doesn’t tell you anything about the type of salt either.
According to Albert Heijn’s storage advice, breakfast cake can be frozen in an airtight container or bag and defrosted the evening before you need it. For a shop-bought cake, follow the storage and use-by information on its packaging.
