Families serving crispbread with savoury toppings
With cheese, spreads, fish or vegetables, you can choose whether the crispbread should simply provide a crunchy base or add a distinctive rye and sourdough flavour of its own.
Who is this for?
Shoppers comparing wholegrains and fibre
If you regularly eat crispbread instead of bread, you can compare the grain types and fibre per 100 g. Jumbo lists 21 g of fibre per 100 g for Leksands Knäckebröd Zuurdesem; Joybuy’s product information lists 19 g per 100 g for Wasa sourdough rye crackers.
Label readers checking allergens or iodine
When you’re sharing a table, you’ll want to know which gluten-containing grains a product contains. If crispbread often replaces ordinary bread, whether the label mentions iodised salt may also influence your choice.
What should you look for when choosing?
First decide whether you want a distinctive flavour or a crispbread that goes with a variety of toppings. Then compare the ingredients, nutrition information and allergen details on the packs you’re considering.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Flavour and sourdough | Check which grain and proportion of sourdough are listed, and whether yeast also appears in the ingredients. | If I want the crispbread to add its own flavour alongside savoury toppings, I’d prioritise the rye and sourdough variety. Around 40% of consumers put flavour first. |
| Wholegrains and fibre | Compare the grains in the ingredients list and the fibre per 100 g on the label. | When I regularly eat crispbread instead of bread, I want to be able to compare wholegrains and fibre. This is the most important factor for around 30% of consumers. |
| Gluten and allergens | Read the allergen information. If you need a strict gluten-free option, look for an explicit gluten-free label or the Crossed Grain symbol, as described by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. | If someone at the table eats strictly gluten-free, I wouldn’t serve rye crispbread as a suitable option. Gluten and allergens are the first thing around 20% of consumers check. |
| Iodine and salt | Look for baker’s salt or iodised table salt on the label, and compare the salt per 100 g. | If crispbread often replaces ordinary bread, I want to know which salt has been used and how much salt the product contains. This label check comes first for around 10% of consumers. |
A higher fibre content doesn’t automatically answer questions about flavour, allergens or iodine. For example, the Jumbo and Joybuy product pages list 21 g and 19 g of fibre per 100 g respectively for the Leksands and Wasa varieties discussed here; both also list 1.2 g of salt per 100 g. These figures apply to these specific varieties, not to all crispbread from these brands.
Common mistakes
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Assuming ‘sourdough’ means ‘made with sourdough alone’
The presence of a sourdough ingredient doesn’t, by itself, tell you whether a product was made using traditional methods or whether other raising agents were used. The Wasa and Leksands varieties discussed here list yeast as well as sourdough.
Read the full ingredients list if the type or stated proportion of sourdough, or the use of yeast, is decisive for your choice.
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Assuming iodised baker’s salt is a given
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, using baker’s salt is not compulsory in the Netherlands. A product’s origin or the word ‘sourdough’ doesn’t confirm which salt it contains either.
Check the salt information on the pack if crispbread regularly replaces ordinary bread. Don’t use uncertainty about iodine as a reason to add extra salt.
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Assuming rye sourdough is gluten-free
The Leksands and Wasa products discussed here list gluten-containing grains. Their wholegrain or fibre content doesn’t change the allergen information.
For a strictly gluten-free dinner, check both the product’s labelling and its allergen information, and take care not to mix it up with other food when serving.
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Looking only at the salt in the crispbread
Jumbo and Joybuy both list 1.2 g of salt per 100 g for the Leksands and Wasa varieties discussed here. Your choice of toppings also matters at dinner.
Compare the salt content of the products you’re considering and remember to factor in salty toppings too.
Brands to consider
Wasa
Wasa makes a sourdough rye cracker that could work as a flavourful base for savoury toppings.
- According to Joybuy’s product information, this variety uses 95 g of wholegrain rye flour and 19 g of wholegrain rye sourdough as ingredients per 100 g; the nutrition information lists 19 g of fibre per 100 g.
- The same variety also lists yeast and gluten-containing grains, including rye and barley. So the sourdough claim doesn’t mean it’s gluten-free or that it’s raised without yeast.
Leksands
Leksands Knäckebröd Zuurdesem is a wholegrain rye variety to compare if sourdough is specifically on your wish list.
- Jumbo lists 85% wholegrain rye flour, 3.8% sourdough and 21 g of fibre per 100 g for this variety.
- The ingredients also include wheat bran, barley malt flour, wheat flour and yeast. As this product is Swedish, don’t assume it contains iodised baker’s salt without checking the label.
Ryvita
Ryvita Original Crispbread can serve as a point of comparison for rye crispbread if sourdough isn’t essential.
- For Original Crispbread, Ryvita lists wholegrain rye flour, rye flour and salt, with 88 g of wholegrain rye flour used per 100 g of product.
- The ingredients information for this variety doesn’t list sourdough, so don’t treat it as a sourdough alternative.
Goud Gebakken
Goud Gebakken Robuust crispbread is a wholegrain seeded option if you’re mainly looking for a base for toppings.
- ALDI describes Robuust crispbread as wholegrain crispbread with seeds and lists two varieties.
- Check the ingredients on the pack you choose if sourdough is a must for your family dinner.
Sourdough crispbread on Joybuy
This product selection suits a family dinner where you’re looking for sourdough rye crispbread to serve as a flavourful base for savoury toppings. Check the pack against any requirements you have around yeast, allergens and iodised salt.
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Wasa Sourdough Rye Crackers 235 g
A sourdough rye cracker for anyone who wants the crispbread to add its own flavour alongside savoury toppings.
According to Joybuy’s product information, each 100 g of product uses 95 g of wholegrain rye flour and 19 g of wholegrain rye sourdough as ingredients. The nutrition information lists 19 g of fibre and 1.2 g of salt per 100 g.
The ingredients also include yeast; the allergen information lists rye, barley and gluten-containing grains. Check the salt information on the pack if iodised salt is important to your choice.
Frequently asked questions
Is sourdough crispbread always made without yeast?
No. Both the Wasa and Leksands varieties discussed here list sourdough and yeast. Check the ingredients list if you’re specifically looking for crispbread without added yeast; the word ‘sourdough’ alone doesn’t tell you.
Can rye sourdough crispbread be served at a gluten-free family dinner?
The Wasa and Leksands varieties discussed here aren’t suitable: their product information lists gluten-containing grains. For a strictly gluten-free dinner, look for a product explicitly labelled gluten-free or carrying the Crossed Grain symbol, and take care to avoid cross-contact when serving.
Does crispbread in the Netherlands always contain iodised baker’s salt?
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, using baker’s salt is not compulsory in the Netherlands. If crispbread often replaces ordinary bread, check the label for ‘baker’s salt’ or ‘iodised table salt’; don’t assume it based on the product name or origin.
How do you keep sourdough crispbread crunchy?
Store it in a dry place and seal the pack well after opening. The Leksands product information says to store it in a dark, dry place; Wasa’s says to store it in a cool, dry place away from sunlight, heat and moisture. Follow the storage instructions on your own pack.