If you want to stock up on a particular fresh sourdough loaf and have space in your freezer, freeze it in portions on the day you buy it. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends keeping wholemeal sourdough in the freezer for 1–3 months; Albert Heijn advises using its Liefde & Passie Dutch wholemeal sourdough within one month. Pre-sliced frozen bread is handy when you want to use a slice at a time, while bake-at-home bread lets you stock up without using freezer space – provided you have the time and equipment to bake it.
If you only eat a few slices a day, you can freeze fresh bread in portions as soon as you buy it. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends defrosting only what you need and notes that bread can become drier if it is kept frozen for longer.
If your choice depends on the type of grain, fibre, allergens, salt or added yeast, look beyond the word ‘sourdough’. The ingredient lists for the Albert Heijn and PLUS products mentioned here differ in these respects.
If you want to store bread without using the freezer, a bake-at-home product could work for you. Check the storage instructions on the packaging, and make sure you have the right equipment – an oven or air fryer – and enough time to bake it.
Best for: a particular fresh sourdough loaf that you want to use in portions.
Things to consider: you’ll need freezer space and should follow the storage guidance for the bread you choose. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends keeping wholemeal sourdough in the freezer for 1–3 months; Albert Heijn advises using its Liefde & Passie Dutch wholemeal sourdough within one month.
Best for: anyone who wants to take out one or a few slices without having to slice the loaf first.
Things to consider: you’ll be choosing from the bread types available and should follow the defrosting and storage instructions on the packaging.
Best for: keeping bread in reserve without using freezer space.
Things to consider: this is a different type of product from a fresh artisan loaf, and it needs to be baked before you eat it. PLUS says its Korenlanders sourdough baguette should be baked in the oven for 8–10 minutes at 220°C or in the air fryer for 4 minutes at 200°C.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Portions and freshness | Check whether you can freeze the bread on the day you buy it, and divide it into portions that suit how much you use at a time. | I want to stock up on several loaves, but only defrost what I’ll eat that day. Avoiding leftovers and loss of quality is the top priority for around 46% of consumers. |
| Ingredients | Check the types of grain, ingredients, allergen information, and whether yeast and salt are listed for each variety. | If I’m looking for a particular type of bread or need to avoid certain ingredients, the label matters more to me than the storage method. Ingredients are the main concern for around 27% of consumers. |
| Using one slice at a time | Check whether the bread is pre-sliced and follow the instructions for defrosting and refreezing. | I only need one or two slices at a time and don’t want to defrost a whole loaf. Around 18% of consumers prioritise this convenience. |
| Stocking up without a freezer | Compare the best-before date and storage instructions, and check what equipment you’ll need and how long baking takes. | I don’t have much freezer space, but I can bake bread when I need it. Having bread in reserve without using the freezer is the main need for around 9% of consumers. |
If you have to defrost the whole loaf each time, the portion size doesn’t suit how much you eat each day. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends freezing bread in portions as soon as you buy it.
Divide fresh bread into handy portions before freezing, or choose pre-sliced frozen bread if you usually have one or two slices at a time.
The ingredient list for the PLUS Korenlanders sourdough baguette also includes yeast. So the product name doesn’t tell you exactly which raising agents have been used.
If added yeast matters to your choice, check the ingredients on the exact product packaging.
‘Wholemeal’, ‘spelt’ and ‘sourdough’ don’t, on their own, mean that a bread is free from allergens. The Albert Heijn Liefde & Passie Dutch wholemeal sourdough, for example, lists wheat ingredients.
Check the ingredients and allergen information on the exact packaging, including any warnings about traces.
Bake-at-home bread can be a way to keep bread in reserve without using the freezer, but it needs to be baked before use and has its own ingredients and storage instructions.
Choose this option if the storage method and baking process suit the way you’ll use it. Don’t compare products based on the word ‘sourdough’ alone.
This range includes both a fresh wholemeal sourdough loaf to freeze at home and a pre-sliced frozen spelt and buckwheat product.
The sourdough baguette in this range is a bake-at-home option for anyone who wants to store bread without using the freezer.
Lidl describes a rustic wholemeal sourdough loaf as wholemeal wheat sourdough bread.
For a crunchy addition to your bread stash, try sourdough crispbread. It’s not a substitute for fresh, frozen or bake-at-home sourdough bread.
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A crunchy option if you want to keep crispbread alongside sourdough; it’s a different type of product from a loaf you can slice.
The pack contains 235 g. Before stocking up, check the best-before date, storage instructions and ingredients on the packaging.
For opened wholemeal sourdough, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends 2–4 days in a kitchen cupboard and 1–3 months in the freezer. Freeze it in portions as soon as you buy it; keeping bread frozen for longer can make it drier. Also follow the instructions for the bread you buy.
No. You can’t tell from the name alone: the PLUS Korenlanders sourdough baguette also lists yeast. If you’re looking for bread with no added yeast, check the ingredients list for the exact variety.
No. The Albert Heijn Liefde & Passie Dutch wholemeal sourdough contains wheat ingredients, and the frozen spelt and buckwheat product lists spelt. Base your choice on the allergen information on the exact packaging, not on the word ‘sourdough’.
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that iodine compounds may only be present in bread through added baker’s salt. The Albert Heijn Liefde & Passie Dutch wholemeal sourdough lists iodised salt; this doesn’t tell you how much iodine is in any other sourdough bread. Check the ingredients information for the product you choose.
Check whether you can take out individual slices, and follow the defrosting and storage instructions on the packaging. That way, you won’t have to defrost more bread than you want to use at the time.
