Choose tiger bread if you want its distinctive crust alongside soup, dips or toppings. Choose sourdough if you want the bread itself to take centre stage as a rustic addition to the table. For both, check the ingredients and allergens for your guests, and make sure the size and any baking time suit when you plan to serve it.
You’re looking for bread whose crust and flavour go well with what you’re serving, such as dips, cheese or soup. A rustic sourdough can make a real statement, while tiger bread stands out for its distinctive crust.
You want to check the ingredients and allergens in your chosen bread before buying it. For packaged bread, read the label; for unpackaged bread, ask for the product information.
Choose a size that suits your guests and take oven space into account. PLUS provides baking instructions for its tiger rolls; Jumbo says the breads in its sourdough range are baked in store and can’t be ordered online.
First, decide what role you want the bread to play on the table. Then check the ingredients for your guests and see what, if anything, needs doing just before serving.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Crust and flavour at the table | Choose between the distinctive crust of tiger bread and the character of a particular sourdough. Also check that the shape and size will work on your breadboard. | If the bread will be on display, you’ll want its crust and flavour to complement the rest of the menu. This would be the main consideration for around 42% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and type of flour | Read the ingredients and allergen information for your chosen bread. Look specifically for the word ‘wholemeal’ if that’s the type of flour you want. | If a guest needs to avoid certain ingredients, you’ll want to know what’s in the bread before serving it. This would be the main concern for around 33% of consumers. |
| Size and preparation | Check the size of the loaf, any baking instructions and how you can buy it. | If you’re cooking other dishes in the oven, you’ll want to serve the bread without it clashing with your timings. Around 25% of consumers would focus mainly on portions and preparation. |
Sourdough describes the leavening agent, not the type of flour. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, wholemeal bread is made from 100% wholemeal flour; sourdough can be made with a different type of flour.
If you want wholemeal bread, look for ‘wholemeal’ in the bread’s name and compare the nutritional information for the products you’re considering.
A name such as tiger bread or sourdough doesn’t tell you which allergens a particular variety contains. PLUS lists wheat and rye in its tiger rolls, as well as the possible presence of other allergens.
For packaged bread, read the ingredients and allergen information. For unpackaged bread, ask for information about that particular loaf before buying it.
Part-baked bread needs oven space when you’re ready to serve it. PLUS recommends baking its tiger rolls for 6–8 minutes at 200 °C in a preheated electric oven. Jumbo says its sourdough range is baked in store and can’t be ordered online.
Check the instructions for your chosen part-baked bread, and plan a trip to the shop if you’ve chosen a loaf that’s only available in store.
You’ll need to check the information for each individual product. PLUS lists iodised salt in its tiger rolls; that doesn’t tell you anything about the ingredients in another loaf.
Check the latest ingredients list if you want to know what type of salt has been used in your chosen bread.
An option if you want to serve one larger loaf of tiger bread: Albert Heijn lists an 800 g wheat tiger loaf.
A sourdough range that includes wholemeal pumpkin, brown multigrain and white spelt varieties.
A shop where you can browse both freshly baked oven-finished bread and packaged bread.
ALDI lists pre-sliced wholemeal farmhouse tiger bread if you want to combine tiger bread with a wholemeal flour base.
A part-baked option in smaller portions: PLUS lists tiger rolls in 200 g bags.
Dirk lists both sourdough and brown tiger bread in its bread range.
No. Sourdough is a leavening agent; the type of flour varies from loaf to loaf. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, wholemeal bread is made from 100% wholemeal flour. So check the name and nutritional information of the specific product.
Ask for allergen information about the bread you want to serve before buying it. For packaged bread, you can read the ingredients list and allergen information on the label. For either type, don’t rely on the name ‘tiger bread’ or ‘sourdough’ alone.
Don’t assume this without checking the information for the individual loaf. PLUS lists iodised salt in its tiger rolls; for another bread, check the current ingredients list.
Follow the instructions on the packaging of the rolls you buy and make sure you have oven space. For its tiger rolls, PLUS recommends baking for 6–8 minutes in a preheated electric oven at 200 °C.
Not for the sourdough range Jumbo describes: according to Jumbo, these loaves are baked in store and can’t be ordered online. Check the latest information from your local store before planning to serve the bread at your dinner party.
