Choose a croissant that lists sourdough in the ingredients if you’d like to try a different flavour with savoury fillings, but don’t assume it will have a particular taste or texture without checking the specific product. A bake-at-home croissant can be handy if you’re planning breakfast for a set time; check the preparation method, ingredients and allergens for each product.
If you’d like to pair a croissant with cheese, ham, egg or vegetables, its flavour may influence your choice. Jumbo suggests cheese and ham as savoury fillings. Albert Heijn describes the flavour of sourdough bread as slightly tangy and complex, but that doesn’t tell you whether a particular croissant tastes the same.
If you’re planning breakfast for several people, you may want to decide for yourself when the croissants come out of the oven. Jumbo describes frozen butter croissants that you bake at home. Check the chosen pack for storage and preparation instructions.
For an unwrapped croissant, you’ll need to ask the seller for information; for a packaged product, check the label. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says sellers must inform customers about allergens present in their products. Don’t try to work this out from a croissant’s name or appearance.
Start by deciding whether you want a croissant made with sourdough. Then consider whether you’d like to bake it at home or buy something ready to eat, and check the product information that matters most to you.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Flavour with savoury fillings | Check whether sourdough or a starter is listed for the specific croissant. A description of sourdough bread doesn’t tell you how that croissant tastes. | If I want to eat a croissant with cheese or ham, I’m looking for a flavour that goes well with my filling. For around 40% of consumers, that flavour combination would be the first consideration. |
| Baking and timing | Check whether the croissant is ready to eat or needs to be baked, and follow the pack instructions. If you’re relying on freshly baked croissants from a shop, check the range at your local branch. | If I’m planning breakfast for a set time, I want to know when I can serve the croissants. For around 30% of consumers, that planning would take priority. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the label or ask about allergens present in unwrapped croissants. Also check whether baker’s salt has been used if that matters to your choice. | I want to know which ingredients and allergens the croissant contains before I buy it, rather than relying on the product name. For around 30% of consumers, this information would matter most. |
Butter and sourdough describe different aspects of a croissant. The fact that a shop also sells sourdough bread doesn’t mean its croissants are made with sourdough.
If sourdough matters to your choice, check the name and ingredients of the specific croissant.
Lidl says its fresh bread range can vary from one branch to another. So a category on a shop’s website won’t tell you which croissants will be available when you visit.
Check the range at your chosen branch before planning breakfast around a particular variety.
Two croissants that look similar may have different ingredients. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says sellers must provide information about allergens present in their products.
For a packaged product, read the label. For an unwrapped croissant, ask for allergen information.
In the Netherlands, there is no general legal requirement to use iodised baker’s salt. The Government Gazette published a covenant on this topic, and the Netherlands Nutrition Centre explains that bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt.
If it matters to your choice, check the ingredients list or ask the baker or shop which salt was used in that particular croissant.
Information about sourdough bread and information about croissants can help you ask the right questions, but one isn’t proof of the other for a specific product.
Albert Heijn explains what a starter is when describing its sourdough bread, and outlines its flavour. Use this information to take a closer look at the ingredients in a croissant.
Jumbo describes frozen butter croissants that you can bake at home, and suggests cheese and ham as savoury fillings.
Lidl describes freshly baked bread and also lists a spelt sourdough loaf. These are separate product details.
PLUS lists butter croissants in its bake-at-home range and sourdough bread as a separate product.
Dirk lists croissants in its bread range and includes sourdough in its wider bread category.
These butter croissants may be worth considering if you’re also checking for sourdough in the ingredients for a savoury breakfast. Before choosing, check the sourdough information, preparation method and allergens for the specific product.
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An option for a savoury breakfast if you’re looking for butter croissants and want to check whether sourdough is listed. That mention alone doesn’t confirm how long the dough has been fermented or what it will taste like; also check the preparation method and allergens on the pack.
No, it depends on your filling and personal taste. Albert Heijn describes sourdough bread as slightly tangy and complex, but that doesn’t predict how a particular croissant will taste. First, check whether sourdough is actually listed for that croissant.
Yes, if you choose a variety that the product instructions say should be baked at home. For example, Jumbo describes frozen butter croissants for home baking; that doesn’t mean they contain sourdough.
Before you buy, ask the seller which allergens are present in that croissant. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says sellers must provide customers with this information, so don’t rely on the name or appearance alone.
No, there’s no general legal requirement in the Netherlands to make croissants with iodised baker’s salt. The Government Gazette published a covenant on the use of baker’s salt, and the Netherlands Nutrition Centre explains that bakers aren’t required to use it. For a specific croissant, check the ingredients list or ask the seller.
