Choose tiger bread if you want to serve something with a distinctive, crunchy crust alongside rusks topped with aniseed sprinkles. If you specifically want bread made with sourdough, choose a sourdough loaf; opt for wholemeal sourdough if a wholemeal base is your priority. None of these descriptions tells you on its own which allergens are present or whether baker’s salt has been used, so check the specific loaf you choose.
Want to serve bread alongside rusks topped with aniseed sprinkles that stands out straight away for its crust? Dirk describes its Boeren tijger bruin as having a crunchy tiger-patterned crust and a firm brown interior.
If sourdough is your priority, look beyond the name of the bread. The product information from Albert Heijn and PLUS shows which grains and other ingredients are used in their individual sourdough loaves.
Looking for wholemeal bread, or want to know which salt has been used? Check both details for each product. According to the Voedingscentrum, bakers are not required to use baker’s salt.
First decide which feature matters most to you: a tiger-patterned crust, sourdough preparation, a wholemeal base, or the information you need to check ingredients and allergens.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Crust and presentation | Check whether the bread is sold as tiger bread and whether you want to serve a whole or sliced loaf. | I want to serve bread alongside the rusks that stands out straight away for its crust. For around 40% of consumers, the crust and presentation come first. |
| Made with sourdough | Look for sourdough or sourdough starter in the ingredients and check which other raising agents are listed. | A tiger pattern matters less to me than bread made with sourdough. Around 30% of consumers give sourdough their highest priority. |
| Wholemeal flour and baker’s salt | Check that it’s described as wholemeal and look separately for baker’s salt or iodised salt; if the bread is unwrapped, ask the seller if needed. | I want a wholemeal base and to check which salt the bread contains, even if I choose sourdough. These considerations matter most to around 20% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current packaging or ask for allergen information about the specific bread before buying. | When buying bread for a group, I need to be able to check its ingredients and allergens first. For around 10% of consumers, this is their main concern. |
The name doesn’t automatically mean a loaf is wholemeal or gluten-free. For example, the sourdough loaves from Albert Heijn and PLUS differ in the grains and other ingredients they contain.
Compare the ingredients and allergen information for the bread you actually want to buy.
Baker’s salt contains added iodine, but according to the Voedingscentrum, bakers aren’t required to use it.
Look for baker’s salt or iodised salt on the label, or ask which salt has been used if the bread is unwrapped.
Even if there’s no packaging to read, bread may contain cereals containing gluten or other allergens. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority states that sellers must provide customers with allergen information about unpackaged foods.
Before buying, ask about the allergens in the specific bread and, if it’s relevant to your choice, about possible cross-contact.
If you’re choosing tiger bread specifically for its crunchy crust, when you plan to serve it also matters when deciding when to buy it.
Choose an amount that suits your guests and buy the bread close to serving time if the crust is your priority.
Albert Heijn offers both tiger bread and loaves from the AH Liefde & Passie sourdough range.
PLUS sells a white sourdough loaf under the Korenlanders name, listed as a bake-off product.
Dirk lists both sourdough and tiger bread in its bread category; Boeren tijger bruin heel is one example of a specific tiger bread.
Lidl describes Rustiek volkoren desembrood as a wholemeal wheat sourdough loaf.
No. The name refers to the style of crust and doesn’t confirm that sourdough has been used as a raising agent. Check the ingredients or description of the specific loaf for details.
No, not every baker uses baker’s salt. According to the Voedingscentrum, it isn’t compulsory, so check the ingredients or ask which salt has been used if the bread is unwrapped.
The name sourdough isn’t a reliable guide: the sourdough loaves mentioned from Albert Heijn and PLUS contain cereals with gluten. Check the allergen information for each product and, if the bread is unwrapped, ask for this information before buying.
Yes, but plan your purchase around what you want to serve. If the crust of tiger bread is especially important, it makes sense to buy it close to serving time. If you want to freeze the bread, check the storage instructions for the product you choose.
