Toast fresh sourdough bread yourself if the flavour and texture of the bread matter more than saving time on preparation. Choose small sourdough toasts or mini crackers if you want to serve appetisers easily, or sourdough crispbread if you’re looking for a dry, sturdy base. Check the ingredients and allergen information for each product, as sourdough doesn’t automatically mean yeast-free or gluten-free.
You want the bread itself to add flavour and texture to your appetisers, and don’t mind slicing and toasting it just before serving. Albert Heijn describes sourdough bread as having a slightly tangy flavour, often with a crisp crust and chewy crumb.
You’re looking for evenly sized bases for different toppings and want to keep slicing to a minimum on the night. Small crackers and ready-made toasts suit this approach, although it’s best to add moist toppings shortly before serving.
You want to know which grains, allergens and types of salt a product contains. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergen information for prepacked products is shown on the label. For unpackaged bread, check with the seller.
First, decide between the texture of bread you toast yourself and the convenience of small, dry bases. Then check that your chosen product really contains sourdough and meets your ingredient requirements.
Best for: appetisers where the crust and crumb of the bread itself contribute significantly to the flavour and bite.
Consider: you’ll need to slice and toast the bread just before serving. Jumbo says its fresh sourdough loaves are available in store.
Best for: small, evenly sized appetisers without having to slice bread yourself.
Consider: these are different products from fresh bread. According to Jumbo, its Mini Crackers Naturel contain yeast as well as sourdough.
Best for: a thin, dry base topped just before serving.
Consider: its bite and rye base differ from toasted bread. Check the allergens on the packaging.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Bread flavour and texture | Check whether you’re buying a whole sourdough loaf to slice and toast yourself, or a ready-made toast product. | If the crust and crumb are part of the appetiser, I’m happy to toast the bread on the night. For around 33% of consumers, that bread experience comes first. |
| Small, crunchy appetisers | Compare the shape and portion size. Keep dry bases separate from moist toppings until just before serving. | When I’m serving several toppings, I want to be able to portion out appetisers easily without having to slice bread each time. For an estimated 42% of consumers, convenience is the main priority. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the latest ingredient and allergen information. If iodine matters to you, ask what type of baker’s salt is used in unpackaged bread. | If I need to consider grains, salt or iodine, I want to know what’s in the product before choosing a topping or type of bread. Around 25% of consumers give this product information top priority. |
Plain Melba toast or party toast can also be handy for small appetisers. The Melba toast varieties shown by Jumbo aren’t automatically sourdough toast, so check the ingredients if sourdough is a requirement for you.
According to Albert Heijn’s product information, Jos Poell Zuurdesem Toast contains both wheat sourdough powder and yeast. Jumbo also lists both sourdough and yeast in its Mini Crackers Naturel.
Read the full ingredients list if you’re looking for a product with no added yeast; the name alone won’t tell you.
The sourdough toast, mini crackers and rye crispbreads reviewed contain gluten-containing grains such as wheat, rye or barley.
If you need to avoid gluten, don’t rely on the word sourdough. Check the latest allergen information and, if necessary, look for a product explicitly labelled gluten-free.
A small piece of toast can be practical, but its shape doesn’t confirm that it contains sourdough or has the texture of freshly toasted bread.
Decide whether you want the texture of bread or quick, evenly sized appetisers. Then check the product information if sourdough is essential.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. So you can’t assume bread contains it simply because it was made in the Netherlands.
For packaged bread, read the ingredients list. For unpackaged bread, ask the baker which type of salt was used.
Worth considering if you want to buy a whole sourdough loaf to toast yourself. Albert Heijn has a range of sourdough breads.
Worth considering for both fresh sourdough bread to toast yourself and packaged mini crackers for small appetisers.
A brand to look out for if you’re after small sourdough toasts rather than a whole loaf.
An option to consider if you mainly want small, evenly sized toasts for toppings.
Worth considering if you’re looking for rye sourdough crispbread as a dry base for toppings.
This product suits the choice of sourdough crispbread as a dry base for toppings, rather than fresh sourdough bread to toast yourself.
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For anyone looking for a dry base for toppings. Crispbread has a different bite from freshly toasted sourdough bread.
Check the latest packaging for rye, barley, gluten and possible traces of other allergens. If the type of salt used matters to you, check the ingredients list as well.
No. A sourdough product can also contain yeast. Albert Heijn lists both wheat sourdough powder and yeast in Jos Poell Zuurdesem Toast; Jumbo also lists both in its Mini Crackers Naturel. Check the ingredients list if this distinction matters to you.
No. The sourdough toast, mini crackers and rye crispbreads mentioned contain gluten-containing grains. If you follow a diet that requires you to avoid gluten, always check the latest allergen information and look for an explicit gluten-free label.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. For packaged bread, check the ingredients list; for unpackaged bread, ask the baker which type of salt was used.
Store them according to the instructions on the packaging and add moist toppings just before serving. That way, you can prepare the appetisers without adding toppings to the dry bases too early.
Ask the seller about allergens in the specific bread before buying. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergen information for prepacked products is shown on the label. For unpackaged bread, the seller must make this information available in another way.
