The cook choosing for flavour and crust
Looking for bread to serve with Sunday roast, gravy and vegetables. For this choice at the table, the difference between sourdough and a tiger crust matters more than the name of the supermarket.
Choose tiger bread if you’re mainly after a crisp tiger crust to go with your Sunday roast; look for bread sold as sourdough if the way it’s risen is your priority. Check the ingredients: sourdough powder alongside baker’s yeast doesn’t mean tiger bread has been risen exclusively with sourdough. The crust also won’t tell you whether the bread is wholemeal.
Looking for bread to serve with Sunday roast, gravy and vegetables. For this choice at the table, the difference between sourdough and a tiger crust matters more than the name of the supermarket.
After the familiar tiger crust, but also checking the wholemeal description and fibre per 100 g. A brown colour or crisp crust on its own doesn’t tell you whether it’s wholemeal.
Need bread for a planned Sunday meal, so they check in advance whether their chosen shop stocks the variety they want. Some sourdough breads are only available in store.
First decide whether you want sourdough or a tiger crust. Then compare the ingredients and nutritional information of the varieties you’re considering for your meal.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Rising method and crust | If you prefer sourdough, look for the product description ‘sourdough bread’ and check whether the ingredients also include baker’s yeast or sourdough powder. | I want to choose deliberately between sourdough and a crisp tiger crust with my roast; around 27% of consumers prioritise this choice of flavour and crust. |
| Wholemeal and ingredients | Check the wholemeal description, compare fibre per 100 g, and look for details of baker’s salt and allergens. | As well as the crust, I want to know what kind of bread I’m serving, especially if wholemeal flour or a particular ingredient is a deciding factor for me. Around 33% of consumers prioritise this product information. |
| Availability | Check your chosen shop and whether it stocks the bread; Jumbo describes its rustic sourdough range as available in store only. | If I’ve already planned the meal, I need to be able to get the bread in time. Availability is the deciding factor for around 27% of consumers. |
| Size and preparation | Choose a suitable loaf size and check whether the product needs baking before serving, as well as its storage instructions. | For a small Sunday table, I don’t want to buy more bread than I can use, and baking it needs to fit into my oven schedule. Around 13% of consumers prioritise this convenience when serving. |
According to its ingredients list, Jumbo’s white farmhouse tiger bread contains both baker’s yeast and inactive wheat sourdough powder. This doesn’t prove that the bread has been risen exclusively with sourdough.
Read the full ingredients list if the rising method matters to you. If the bread is sold loose, ask how it was risen.
Tiger decoration describes the crust, not the type of flour. According to PLUS product information, Korenlanders Boeren tijger volkoren contains 6.4 g of fibre per 100 g; the white, part-baked variety contains 2.2 g per 100 g.
Compare the product description and nutritional information per 100 g rather than relying on the colour or crust alone.
Under Dutch regulations, baker’s salt is iodised salt used in bakery products. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre points out that bakers aren’t required to use it.
Check the label for baker’s salt or iodised salt, or ask if the bread is sold loose.
A whole loaf may be more than you need for a small table. A part-baked variety will also need time in the oven.
Choose a size to suit the number of people eating, and follow the storage or freezing instructions for the product you’ve chosen.
This brand information covers the bread varieties mentioned, not each shop’s full range. Before buying, check the current packaging of the product you choose.
Albert Heijn lists white, brown and wholemeal tiger breads. AH Tijger volkoren heel is worth considering if you want to combine a tiger crust with wholemeal bread.
Jumbo offers a separate rustic sourdough range alongside its tiger bread varieties. This lets you choose your preferred rising method independently of the crust style.
Lidl lists a rustic wholemeal wheat sourdough loaf as a separate in-store product.
ALDI lists Boeren tijger volkoren as a whole, pre-sliced loaf for anyone looking for tiger bread to serve with a meal.
PLUS lists Korenlanders tiger bread in white and wholemeal varieties, with nutritional information for each product.
Dirk lists Bakker van der Akker Boeren tijger bruin heel for anyone wanting to serve brown tiger bread with their roast.
No. Tiger bread refers to the style of crust and doesn’t, on its own, tell you how the bread was risen. According to its ingredients list, Jumbo’s white farmhouse tiger bread contains baker’s yeast and inactive wheat sourdough powder. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre describes sourdough bread as bread made with sourdough starter instead of baker’s yeast.
Compare the nutritional information per 100 g for the specific loaves you’re considering. Albert Heijn lists 6.7 g of fibre per 100 g for AH Tijger volkoren heel; PLUS lists 6.4 g for Korenlanders Boeren tijger volkoren and 2.2 g for its white, part-baked tiger bread. The tiger crust alone doesn’t tell you these figures.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. Baker’s salt is iodised salt for bakery products; check the ingredients list of the bread you choose, or ask if it’s sold loose.
Before buying, check whether the bread is ready to serve or needs baking first. According to the product information, PLUS’s white, part-baked Korenlanders variety needs 10 minutes in the oven at 200 °C. Follow the storage instructions for any leftovers; PLUS says to freeze its wholemeal tiger bread on the day of purchase and use it within one month.