Who is this choice relevant to?

Student cooking for several meals

If you’re making a big pan of soup or pasta, you’ll want to know how much bread you’ll use and what to do with the rest. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises freezing bread in portions as soon as you buy it.

Student looking for sourdough bread

If bread is a prominent part of the meal, for example alongside soup or a dip, you can check whether sourdough is listed in the ingredients. Albert Heijn lists wheat sourdough in AH Liefde & Passie Nederlands desem brons; Jumbo lists sourdough in its Desem Breekbrood Wit.

Small household looking to avoid leftovers

A whole loaf may be more than you need for one meal if you’re cooking for one or two. Sliced bread, or bread you can break into portions, makes it easier to use only what you need.

What should you look for when choosing?

First, work out how much bread you’ll have with your meal. Then check whether sourdough is listed, how the bread needs to be prepared and any label information that matters to you.

What to consider What to check before buying Who it matters to
Portions and leftovers Check the loaf’s weight and work out how much you’ll need for your meal. See if you can freeze the rest in portions straight away. If I’m cooking for several meals, I want to avoid having unused bread left over. For around 42% of consumers, using every portion is the top priority.
Sourdough and preparation Look for sourdough in the ingredients list and check whether the bread is ready to eat or part-baked. If bread is a key part of the meal alongside soup or a dip, I want to choose a product that’s specifically labelled as containing sourdough. This is the top priority for around 33% of consumers.
Label information Read the allergen information for the exact loaf. You may also want to compare fibre and salt per 100 g. If I need to avoid an allergen, I need clear information about the ingredients before choosing bread. For around 25% of consumers, label information is the top priority.

Common mistakes

  • Buying a whole loaf without planning what to do with the rest

    Even if bread goes well with dinner, you may still have slices left over. This is especially worth considering if you’re cooking for one or two people.

    Work out how many portions you need in advance and freeze the rest straight away, as the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises for bread.

  • Confusing sourdough with wholemeal or gluten-free bread

    The style of bread doesn’t tell you what flour was used or which allergens it contains. For example, Jumbo’s white Desem Breekbrood lists wheat and spelt; according to Jumbo, its brown Boeren Tijgerbrood contains 5.3 g of fibre per 100 g.

    Check the flour type, fibre per 100 g and allergens separately on the label of the bread you’re buying.

  • Assuming part-baked bread is ready to eat

    Jumbo describes its Desem Breekbrood Wit as part-baked. You’ll need time and a suitable oven to prepare bread like this.

    Choose bread that’s ready to eat if you want to eat straight away; only choose a bake-at-home product if preparing it fits in with your meal plans.

  • Assuming every loaf contains iodised salt

    A reference to baker’s salt doesn’t prove that every tiger bread or sourdough has the same ingredients. Recipes can vary from product to product.

    Check the ingredients list for the specific loaf to see whether iodised salt or baker’s salt is listed.

Shops to consider

Albert Heijn

Worth considering if you’re looking for sliced sourdough that’s ready to eat with a meal.

  • AH Liefde & Passie Nederlands desem brons is a 600 g brown wheat sourdough loaf. Albert Heijn lists 9.6% wheat sourdough and advises freezing it on the day of purchase.
  • These details apply to this product, not every loaf sold by Albert Heijn. Check the packaging for the ingredients and allergens in the bread you choose.

Jumbo

A place to compare regular brown tiger bread with part-baked sourdough.

  • Jumbo lists 5.3 g of fibre per 100 g for its Boeren Tijgerbrood Bruin. According to the ingredients information, its Desem Breekbrood Wit contains sourdough.
  • Desem Breekbrood Wit is part-baked, so it needs to be prepared. Check the flour types and allergens for each product.

ALDI

Worth considering if you’d like to pick up freshly baked bread to go with your student meal.

  • ALDI includes Bakkersgoud and Bakkersgoud Rustiek in its range of freshly baked bread.
  • According to ALDI, this range is available in shops with an in-store bakery. Check in store to see which bread and product information are available.

Lidl

Worth considering if you want to check ingredients and allergens when choosing freshly baked bread.

  • Lidl publishes an ingredients and allergens guide for its freshly baked bread range.
  • Use the information for the specific bread you choose; don’t assume that a loaf contains sourdough just because it’s described as freshly baked.

Related Joybuy products

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

Is sourdough automatically wholemeal or gluten-free?

No. The word sourdough alone tells you nothing about the type of flour or the allergens in a loaf. According to Albert Heijn, AH Liefde & Passie Nederlands desem brons is a brown wheat sourdough loaf; Jumbo lists wheat and spelt in its white Desem Breekbrood. Check the ingredients and allergen information for the exact product you’re considering.

What should I do with bread left over after dinner?

Freeze any bread you won’t use straight away in portions, so you can take out only what you need later. This is the Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s advice for storing bread; also follow any instructions on the packaging of the product you choose.

Where can I find allergen information for unpackaged bread?

If allergen information isn’t on the packaging, ask for details about the specific bread before buying it. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, consumers must be given this information for unpackaged foods in another way. Don’t rely on the name tiger bread or sourdough alone.

Does bread in the Netherlands always contain iodised baker’s salt?

No. This isn’t guaranteed by the type of bread or the rules on baker’s salt. The version of the Commodities Act Decree on the Addition of Micronutrients to Foodstuffs dated 14 November 2014 describes adding iodine to bread through baker’s salt, at a maximum of 65 mg of iodine per kg of salt; it doesn’t prove that every individual loaf contains this ingredient. Check the product’s ingredients list to find out.