Which bread options suit you?

If you want a snack straight away

If you want to serve bread late in the evening without using the oven or waiting for it to defrost, look for ready-to-eat tiger bread. Just check that you already have some at home or that the shop is still open.

If you’re specifically looking for sourdough

If you specifically want sourdough, check the product description and ingredients. Fresh bread from a shop, bake-at-home products and frozen bread all need different preparation.

If you read the packaging carefully

If you want to compare fibre and salt, or check ingredients and allergens, use the information for the specific product you’ve chosen. Don’t rely on words such as tiger bread, wholemeal or sourdough alone.

What should you look for when choosing?

For a late-night snack, the first choice is between ready-to-eat bread and bread that means planning a trip to the shop or some preparation in advance.

Ready-to-eat tiger bread

Choose this if: you want the tiger-patterned crust and don’t want to bake it before eating.

Bear in mind: the name tiger bread doesn’t tell you whether it contains sourdough.

Fresh sourdough

Choose this if: sourdough is a priority and you can buy it in good time.

Bear in mind: Jumbo says its sourdough breads described here are only available in store. Check local opening times and stock before you set off.

Bake-at-home or frozen sourdough

Choose this if: you can stock up in advance and plan when to prepare the bread.

Bear in mind: bake-at-home bread needs cooking equipment; frozen bread may need several hours to defrost.

What to consider What should you check? Who is this important for?
Preparation time Check whether the bread is ready to eat, needs baking or is frozen. For the latter two, read the baking or defrosting instructions. Late in the evening, I don’t want to have to defrost bread or switch on the oven first. For around 33% of consumers, being able to eat it straight away would be the main priority.
Tiger crust or sourdough Check the bread description and ingredients for a tiger-patterned crust and, if you’re looking for it, an explicit mention of sourdough. If I choose tiger bread for its crust, I don’t want to mistake that for a preference for sourdough. Around 27% of consumers would put the bread feature they want first.
Ingredients and nutritional value Compare fibre and salt per 100 g, and read the ingredients and allergen information for the product you’ve chosen. I want to know what’s in my bread before I rely on its name. For around 20% of consumers, checking ingredients and nutritional value would come first.
Stock and food waste Check the pack size and the storage and freezing instructions. I want to have bread ready for another late-night snack without ending up with too much left over. For around 20% of consumers, having a useful supply on hand would be their main concern.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming tiger bread is also sourdough

    PLUS describes its Boeren tijger volkoren as bread with a tiger-patterned crust, while its Desem Wit is sold separately as a sourdough product. The names refer to different characteristics.

    If sourdough is essential for you, look for an explicit mention of sourdough in the description and ingredients of the specific bread.

  • Buying bake-at-home or frozen bread for an unplanned snack

    PLUS gives a cooking time of 5–6 minutes in an air fryer for its desem-demi-baguettes; according to its product information, an OerDesem frozen-fresh product from Albert Heijn needs at least 6 hours to defrost.

    If you want to eat straight away, choose bread that’s ready to eat. Follow the instructions on the packaging for bake-at-home and frozen products.

  • Relying on the bread name instead of reading the label

    Wholemeal, sourdough and tiger don’t, by themselves, tell you how much fibre or salt the bread contains, or provide the full ingredients and allergen information.

    Compare the nutritional values per 100 g and check the label of the exact product when you buy it. Look for baker’s salt or iodised salt in the ingredients if that matters to your choice.

  • Buying a whole loaf without a storage plan

    If you only have a few slices for a late-night snack, the rest may go uneaten. The Voedingscentrum recommends freezing bread in portions straight after buying it.

    Divide the bread into portions that suit how much you’ll use, and follow the storage instructions on the packaging.

Relevant brands and shops

These examples show where you can compare tiger bread and sourdough. Range and availability may vary by product and shop.

Albert Heijn

Albert Heijn lists several OerDesem varieties, as well as tiger bread as a separate product.

  • The product information for AH OerDesem volkoren Allinson lists wholemeal wheat sourdough, 6.3 g of fibre and 0.85 g of salt per 100 g.
  • The AH Tijgerbrood tarwe described here is listed as available in store only; check the current packaging and availability.

Jumbo

Jumbo describes a range of sourdough breads for anyone looking for a fresh loaf from a shop.

  • Jumbo says the sourdough breads described here are freshly baked in store.
  • Jumbo says these breads can’t be ordered online, so plan a trip to the shop before you need them for a late-night snack.

PLUS

PLUS offers separate options for tiger bread, sourdough and bake-at-home desem-demi-baguettes.

  • The desem-demi-baguettes come with oven and air fryer instructions.
  • The wholemeal tiger bread described here and Desem Wit are different products. Check the ingredients and allergens for each variety.

Dirk

Dirk’s bread range lists tiger brown bread and sourdough as separate categories.

  • Bakker van der Akker Boeren tijger bruin heel is a specific example of the tiger bread option.
  • These range descriptions don’t automatically mean that a tiger bread is sourdough; read the description of the bread you choose.

ALDI

ALDI lists Boeren tijger wit, bruin and volkoren in its daily fresh bread range.

  • These varieties offer a choice of different types of bread with a tiger-patterned crust.
  • The Boeren tijger name doesn’t confirm that the bread is made with sourdough; check the product information to find out.

Lidl

Lidl lists Rustiek volkoren desembrood as a separate option for anyone looking for wholemeal sourdough.

  • Lidl describes this product as wholemeal wheat sourdough bread.
  • The product is listed as available in store only. Check the information on the specific packaging for ingredients and allergens.

Joybuy products

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

Does tiger bread for a late-night snack need to be made with sourdough?

No, it doesn’t need to be sourdough for you to choose it as a late-night snack. The tiger breads and sourdough breads described here are separate product options. If you specifically want sourdough, look for it in the ingredients.

Does all Dutch bread contain iodised baker’s salt?

Don’t assume that it does. Check the current ingredients list for the bread you’re buying for baker’s salt or iodised salt, rather than assuming it’s included based on the type of bread.

Can I freeze bread for a snack later on?

Yes. The Voedingscentrum says bread can be frozen in portions straight after buying it. Check the packaging too: for example, an OerDesem frozen-fresh loaf from Albert Heijn must not be refrozen after defrosting.

How do I check for allergens in tiger bread or sourdough?

Read the allergen information for the exact product you’re buying. The PLUS products described here contain, among other things, cereals containing gluten. Terms such as tiger, wholemeal and sourdough don’t, by themselves, give you the full picture of the ingredients or possible traces.