Organisers who want to share bread
If you’re serving bread with dips, soup or sharing platters, a white farmhouse loaf or baguette is easy to break into pieces. Just make sure you can cut it or prepare portions in advance.
Which type of bread is right for you?
Buyers who can bake it just before serving
If you have an oven available at the right time, you could consider a white part-baked loaf. Check the cooking instructions and plan when to bake it around serving time.
Organisers who need to consider allergens
If you’re buying for guests with allergies, check each type of bread individually. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority states that allergen information for prepacked products is shown on the label; ask for it before buying bread sold loose.
What should you look for when choosing?
First decide how and when you’ll serve the bread: a whole loaf needs to be portioned, while part-baking requires the right serving time and oven space. Then check the ingredients and allergens for each product.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Presentation when serving straight away | Check whether the bread is whole or sliced, and whether you can portion it just before serving. | For a sharing platter with dips, I want to break the bread into pieces shortly before serving, so the presentation isn’t left waiting for long. Around 36% of consumers prioritise presentation straight away. |
| Portions and preparation | Choose between individual rolls and a whole loaf; for part-baked bread, check the equipment and instructions you’ll need. | If lots of guests are helping themselves to bread at once, I want to be able to serve it without having to cut it. For around 29% of consumers, easy portioning matters most. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the latest packaging or ask for the allergen information for loose bread before buying. | If I’m buying for guests with allergies, I need to know which allergens are listed for each type of bread before putting it out. This check is the top priority for around 21% of consumers. |
| Nutritional value | Compare the type of flour and nutritional information if you’re weighing up white bread against brown or wholemeal bread. | When bread is on the table more often, I also want to consider fibre and the wider choice of breads available. Around 14% of consumers give this nutritional consideration priority. |
Common mistakes
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Taking an artisan-style name as a guide to nutrition
Words such as ‘rustic’ and ‘artisan’ don’t tell you how much fibre a loaf contains. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends replacing white bread with wholemeal or brown bread as often as possible.
To compare nutritional value, look at the type of flour and the nutritional information, separately from the crust or presentation you’re looking for.
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Guessing allergens from the bread’s name alone
A name such as ‘white baguette’ doesn’t provide the full ingredients and allergen information. For example, PLUS lists wheat in its artisan white baguette and also mentions the possible presence of other gluten-containing cereals.
Read the latest packaging. For unpackaged bread, ask for allergen information before buying, as advised by the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority for this type of sale.
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Assuming a shop listing means it’s in stock locally
Albert Heijn and Lidl mark certain white breads as available in store only. ALDI links its freshly baked range to shops with a bakery section.
Before the event, check with your chosen shop that the type of bread you want to serve is available.
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Slicing the bread well in advance and putting it in the fridge
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that bread dries out in the fridge. For bread with a crust you want to keep crisp, it recommends using a paper bread bag.
Plan storage and slicing around when you’ll serve the bread, and follow the instructions on the packaging.
Brands and shops to consider
Albert Heijn
A place to compare white farmhouse loaves and other types of white bread.
- Albert Heijn includes AH Vloerbrood wit among its white breads.
- Several breads are listed as available in store only, so check your chosen shop.
Jumbo
A useful reference if you’re considering a white farmhouse loaf to bake at home.
- Jumbo describes La Place Vloerbrood Wit as part-baked bread made with sourdough and finished with a crisp crust.
- This particular La Place loaf is no longer in the online range, so don’t rely on it without checking the current product listing.
PLUS
An option to look at if you’re considering an artisan white baguette for sharing.
- PLUS lists ingredients and allergens, including wheat, for its artisan white baguette.
- Check the latest packaging when you buy, as ingredients and allergen information can change.
ALDI
Worth considering if you’re looking for rustic white bread, a farmhouse loaf or baguettes in a shop with a bakery section.
- ALDI includes Bakkersgoud Rustiek wit and baguettes in its bread range.
- The freshly baked range is available in shops with a bakery section, so check with your local shop.
Lidl
An in-store option if standard white bread suits your serving plans.
- Lidl lists an 800 g white loaf.
- The bread is marked as available in store only. Check the product in person if its ingredients or shape are important to your choice.
Dirk
A useful reference for individual white rolls and white farmhouse bread with sunflower seeds.
- Dirk lists white schnitt rolls, white kaiser rolls and Bakker van der Akker Vloerbrood zonnepit.
- Check the ingredients for the specific product and whether it’s available at your chosen shop.
White baguettes and rolls for your festival
These Joybuy products include white baguettes to portion up and white rolls to hand out individually. Before the event, check whether the baguettes need to be baked, and always check the latest packaging if you’re buying for anyone with allergies.
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g'woon white baguette, 220 g
A baguette to break into pieces and serve; this one weighs 220 g.
If you want to bake it just before serving, check the oven temperature and baking time on the packaging. If you have allergies, also read the latest ingredients and allergen information.
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G'woon white rustic baguette, 250 g
A 250 g white baguette to portion up and serve with a shared meal.
Before planning when to serve it, check whether the bread still needs to be baked. If you have allergies, read the latest packaging.
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g'woon white baguettes, 2 baguettes, 300 g
Two white baguettes weighing 300 g in total are a good option if you want more than one loaf to portion up.
Check the packaging for instructions on how to prepare them for serving and which allergens are listed for this product.
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g'woon white rolls, 4 rolls, 300 g
Four individual white rolls weighing 300 g in total are ideal if you want to hand out bread without having to slice a whole loaf.
Choose a baguette instead if you want to put bread on a sharing platter for guests to break into pieces. If you have allergies, check the latest packaging.
Frequently asked questions
For a street festival, should I choose a white farmhouse loaf or a baguette?
A white farmhouse loaf works well if you want a larger loaf to slice into portions for a sharing platter or to serve with soup. A baguette is a good choice if you want to break a long loaf into pieces. Either way, you’ll need a serving plan if you’re not buying pre-sliced bread.
How do I check allergens when buying bread for other people?
Check the allergen information for each loaf before buying. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority states that this information is shown on the label for prepacked bread and must be available before purchase for unpackaged bread. Don’t rely on the name of the bread alone.
Can I buy white bread in advance and freeze it?
Bread can be frozen; follow the storage and preparation instructions for the specific product. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against storing bread in the fridge, as it dries out there.
Does ‘premium’ tell me anything about the nutritional value of white bread?
No, the term doesn’t tell you anything by itself about the type of flour or fibre content. Compare the nutritional information if this matters to you; the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends replacing white bread with wholemeal or brown bread as often as possible.