Choose wholemeal tiger bread if you want a loaf with a tiger crust and a wholemeal base for your family. If sourdough is your priority, look for a loaf with ‘sourdough’ in its product name or ingredients list: at the supermarkets mentioned, tiger bread and sourdough are often listed separately. If you buy several loaves at once, freezing them in portions helps you match your supply to your family’s needs.
A whole or pre-sliced loaf needs to work for several breakfasts and lunches. If you want wholemeal bread as your everyday staple, look for the ‘wholemeal’ label on tiger bread from supermarkets including ALDI, Jumbo and PLUS.
If you want both in one loaf, the name ‘tiger bread’ alone isn’t enough. Check the exact product name and ingredients: Albert Heijn and Jumbo, for example, list tiger bread and sourdough as separate options.
If the amount of bread you need varies from day to day, you can divide one or more loaves into portions. The Voedingscentrum recommends freezing bread in portions straight after purchase.
First decide whether wholemeal, a tiger crust or clearly labelled sourdough matters most to your household. Then choose a loaf size that suits how much you’ll use and can freeze.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is it most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Wholemeal base | Check whether the exact variety is labelled ‘wholemeal’. If you like, compare the fibre per 100 g in the nutrition table. | If wholemeal is the priority for everyday sandwiches, don’t rely on the brown colour or tiger crust. For around 31% of consumers, a wholemeal base is the deciding factor. |
| Tiger crust | Check whether you’re choosing a white, brown or wholemeal tiger loaf, and whether it’s pre-sliced. | For breakfast and lunch, we’re mainly looking for a loaf with a crust the family enjoys. Around 31% of consumers put the tiger crust first. |
| Sourdough | Look for an explicit sourdough reference for the exact variety, and check the ingredients if you also want to know what raising agent is used. | I’m mainly looking for bread that clearly contains sourdough, even if it doesn’t have a tiger crust. That’s the top priority for around 23% of consumers. |
| Keeping bread in stock | Choose a whole or half loaf to suit your needs, and check the storage advice on the packaging. | If the shopping needs to last several days, I only want to defrost what we need. For around 15% of consumers, managing their bread supply is the main concern. |
The tiger crust doesn’t tell you what the bread was made with. PLUS lists baker’s yeast in its white farmhouse tiger bread, while Jumbo sells tiger bread and rustic sourdough loaves as separate products.
If you’re looking for sourdough, check for an explicit reference in the exact product name or ingredients list. Don’t rely on words such as ‘rustic’ or ‘artisan’ alone.
The colour and crust don’t tell you whether the variety you’ve chosen is wholemeal. Tiger bread comes in white, brown and wholemeal varieties.
Check the product description and compare the nutritional information for the varieties you’re considering.
A bigger shop may not suit your household if bread is left uneaten. The Voedingscentrum also notes that frozen bread becomes drier the longer it stays in the freezer.
Divide the bread into portions on the day you buy it, and freeze what you won’t use soon.
Ingredients and allergen information can vary between varieties or change over time. This matters if you’re specifically looking for sourdough or need to avoid an ingredient.
Read the current packaging of the loaf you buy. For unpackaged bread, ask the shop or baker about its ingredients and allergens.
Its online bread range lists tiger loaves alongside separate OerDesem varieties.
Its farmhouse tiger bread comes in white, brown and wholemeal varieties, alongside rustic sourdough loaves.
Its range includes white and wholemeal farmhouse tiger bread, with product information for each variety.
Its range includes a whole, pre-sliced Boeren tijger volkoren loaf, as well as a separate extra-high-fibre wholemeal loaf.
It sells Bakker van der Akker Boeren tijger bruin heel; sourdough is also listed in its wider bread category.
Its range includes an organic rustic multigrain sourdough loaf, with ingredient information available for its oven-fresh bread range.
No. A tiger crust doesn’t confirm that the bread is made with sourdough. PLUS lists baker’s yeast in its white farmhouse tiger bread, while Jumbo lists tiger bread and rustic sourdough loaves separately. If sourdough is a deciding factor for you, check the ingredients for the exact variety.
Freeze the bread in portions straight after purchase, then take out what your family needs. The Voedingscentrum recommends keeping wholemeal bread in the freezer for one to three months and notes that it gets drier if frozen for longer. If the bread is packaged, follow the storage information on the packaging too.
Don’t assume this is the case for an individual loaf. The Dutch government lists bread with added iodine as one possible source of iodine. Check the ingredients of the bread you’ve chosen, or ask the baker or shop.
Check the allergen information for the exact variety on the current packaging, or ask about it if the bread is unpackaged. The terms ‘sourdough’ and ‘wholemeal’ don’t in themselves mean that a loaf is gluten-free; PLUS lists wheat and barley, among other ingredients, in its wholemeal farmhouse tiger bread.
