Choose a fresh bakery croissant if you want to serve it with coffee straight away. A par-baked croissant or chilled dough lets you choose when to bake, but you’ll need to set aside time and oven space. If sourdough is essential, check the ingredients list: the Jumbo and PLUS croissants we looked at contain yeast as well as sourdough.
You want to be able to check the ingredients list to see whether the croissant contains sourdough. Bear in mind that supermarket versions may also contain yeast, as is the case with the Jumbo and PLUS products we looked at.
You want to bake croissants just before coffee or shape the dough yourself. This lets you control when they’re served, but requires preparation and oven space.
You check the ingredients and allergen information before buying, especially for an unwrapped bakery croissant. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, consumers must also be given allergen information for non-prepacked products.
First decide whether you want to serve your croissant straight away or bake it at home. Then compare the ingredients and any other information that matters to your guests.
A good choice if: you want to serve a warm croissant at home and check that it contains sourdough. The Jumbo and PLUS versions we looked at list sourdough in their ingredients.
Bear in mind: both versions also contain yeast; check the baking instructions before you start.
A good choice if: you want to serve croissants with coffee without using your oven at home. Albert Heijn and ALDI list fresh butter croissants in their ranges.
Bear in mind: a fresh or flaky croissant isn’t automatically a sourdough croissant; ask for product information if it’s unwrapped.
A good choice if: you want to shape the croissants yourself and can plan when to bake them around coffee and cake. PLUS sells chilled butter croissant dough.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to keep the dough chilled and bake it according to the pack instructions; it isn’t ready to serve straight away.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sourdough as an ingredient | Look for sourdough or sourdough starter in the ingredients list, and check whether yeast is listed too. | If sourdough is the reason I’m choosing this croissant, I want to see what it actually contains. Around 31% of consumers put this check first. |
| When it’s served | Check whether the croissant is ready to serve, par-baked or still dough, and follow the preparation instructions. | If I’m serving coffee at a set time, I want to know how much preparation I’ll need to do at home. For around 31% of consumers, when it’s served is the most important factor. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the label; ask for allergen information before buying unwrapped croissants. Compare nutritional values on the same basis, for example per 100 g. | If I need to take ingredients or allergens into account, I must be able to check that information before buying. This is the main concern for around 23% of consumers. |
| Quantity and convenience | Compare the number of croissants, the pack weight and how much preparation is required. | For a small coffee gathering, I don’t want to prepare more croissants than necessary and I like to keep things simple. Around 15% of consumers give this practical consideration priority. |
The Jumbo and PLUS croissants we looked at list both sourdough and yeast. So the presence of sourdough alone doesn’t tell you the whole story about the raising agents.
Read the full ingredients list if the way the dough is leavened matters to you.
‘Freshly baked’ describes how a croissant is sold, not the ingredients or method used to make it.
If you’re specifically looking for sourdough, ask about the ingredients of an unwrapped croissant. If relevant, check the allergen information at the same time.
Words such as ‘butter’ don’t tell you which other allergens are present. The ingredients lists we looked at for Jumbo, PLUS and Albert Heijn differ from product to product.
Check the current label or ask for allergen information before buying an unwrapped product.
These examples show the product information you can compare at different retailers; a brand name on its own doesn’t tell you whether a particular croissant contains sourdough.
For its AH Luxe butter croissant, Albert Heijn lists 25% butter, yeast and egg among the ingredients.
The ingredients list on Jumbo’s pack of four butter croissants includes both sourdough and yeast.
PLUS lists both sourdough and yeast in its packaged butter croissants. The brand also sells chilled butter croissant dough to bake at home.
ALDI lists a fresh butter croissant, sold individually.
Dirk lists an individual butter croissant weighing 65 g.
Lidl describes bread and rolls that are baked in its shops.
This pack of four croissants could be a good fit if you’re having coffee with a few people. Check the ingredients and preparation instructions on the pack if sourdough or when they’re served will determine your choice.
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A pack of four croissants for coffee with a few people. Check the pack to see whether and how they need to be prepared, and read the ingredients list if sourdough or allergens are important to your choice.
Not necessarily. The ingredients lists for the Jumbo and PLUS croissants we looked at include yeast as well as sourdough. So check all the raising agents listed if how the dough is made matters to you.
Yes. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, consumers must be given allergen information for non-prepacked products in a way other than on packaging. Ask before buying if you need this information.
Follow the instructions for the specific dough. For its butter croissant dough, PLUS recommends around 15–18 minutes at 180 °C in a fan oven or 200 °C with conventional top and bottom heat; these instructions don’t automatically apply to par-baked croissants.
