If you want to choose the slice thickness yourself for generously filled sandwiches at your holiday home, pick a whole white loaf that you can slice yourself or ask the bakery counter to cut into thicker slices. Pre-sliced toast or sandwich bread saves you the effort, but the name doesn’t guarantee thick slices. Check the slices and choose a loaf size to suit the length of your stay.
Pre-sliced toast or sandwich bread saves you the effort when you’re making snacks for several people. Check that the slices fit your toastie maker and work with the amount of filling you want; the name doesn’t tell you how thick they are.
A whole farmhouse, round or hearth-baked loaf gives you more control over slice thickness than a pre-sliced loaf. Take a bread knife with you and check before buying that the loaf is whole, or ask the bakery counter if they can cut it thicker.
Choose a loaf size to suit your planned meals and decide in advance what you’ll do with any leftovers. If you have allergies, check the current packaging; ingredients and allergen information can change.
First decide whether slice thickness or convenience is more important to you. Part-baked bread is a separate option, best if you want to bake it just before eating and your holiday home has a suitable oven.
Choose this if: you want bread for sandwiches or a toastie maker without having to slice it yourself.
The trade-off: the slices come at a fixed thickness, which you can’t tell from the bread’s name.
Choose this if: you want to decide how thick to slice your bread to suit your fillings.
The trade-off: slicing it yourself takes a bread knife and a little preparation. Ask the bakery counter in advance if you want it cut thicker.
Choose this if: you want to bake the bread just before snack time and have a suitable oven.
The trade-off: baking takes time to prepare, and doesn’t tell you anything about the thickness of any pre-sliced bread.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Slice thickness | Check whether the loaf is whole or sliced, and look at the slices if their thickness matters for your snack. | When I’m adding generous fillings, I want to choose how thickly I slice the bread. Around 42% of consumers put that control first. |
| Ready to use | Check whether you want pre-sliced bread and whether the size you’ve chosen is available. For part-baked bread, check the cooking instructions. | If I want to make sandwiches as soon as I arrive, I don’t want to have to slice or bake the bread first. Around 33% of consumers prioritise this convenience. |
| Quantity and label | Choose a suitable loaf size, check the storage advice and, if you have allergies, read the current ingredients and allergen information. | For a short stay, I don’t want to be left with lots of bread. If I have a food allergy, I also need to be able to check the label. This is the biggest concern for around 25% of consumers. |
Toast bread, sandwich bread, rustic bread and hearth-baked loaves don’t automatically come in a particular slice thickness. So a pre-sliced loaf might not be what you expect for generously filled sandwiches.
Look at the slices before you buy. If thickness is essential, choose a whole loaf you can slice yourself or ask if the bakery counter can cut it thicker.
You may have some left over during a short stay. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends freezing bread as a way to reduce food waste.
Count your planned meals, consider buying half a loaf and freeze any portions you won’t use in time, if the product is suitable for freezing.
Ingredients and allergen information can change. That’s why anyone with a food allergy should check the information on the current packaging.
Check the label when you buy or receive the bread, including any allergen warnings.
A part-baked product needs to be prepared using the facilities specified for that product. Not every holiday home has a suitable oven or baking tray.
Check the cooking instructions and kitchen facilities before you leave. Otherwise, choose bread you can eat without baking.
These ranges give you an idea of the types of bread you can compare. Check whether each product is whole or sliced; the name of the shop won’t tell you how thick the slices are.
Albert Heijn offers several types of white bread, including whole white loaves, hearth-baked loaves and toast bread.
Jumbo offers white toast and sandwich bread, as well as whole white loaves.
PLUS offers whole white farmhouse and hearth-baked loaves, as well as sliced white party bread.
ALDI offers white bread, including hearth-baked loaves, pre-sliced party bread and white rolls for baking at home.
Dirk offers whole white sandwich, farmhouse and round loaves from Bakker van der Akker.
Lidl includes white bread in its oven-fresh range.
These white baguettes are options for sandwiches and other snacks at your holiday home. They aren’t confirmed to be thick-sliced sandwich bread: check whether you can slice each product yourself, how thick the slices will be and whether it needs baking.
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A pack of two baguettes to consider for several snack times.
Contents: 2 pieces, 300 g in total. Check whether you can slice them to your preferred thickness and, if you have allergies, read the current packaging.
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A baguette to consider if you want to make sandwiches at your holiday home.
Contents: 250 g. Check how it is sliced and whether the slices will suit your fillings. If you have allergies, read the current packaging.
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A white baguette to consider for a snack or sandwich.
Contents: 220 g. Check whether it needs baking, what facilities you’ll need and whether you can cut it into slices of your preferred thickness.
No, the name toast bread doesn’t indicate a specific slice thickness. Look at the slices before choosing the bread, especially if your fillings need a thick slice.
Choose a whole white loaf and check that it’s unsliced. Make sure there’s a bread knife at your holiday home, or ask the bakery counter before buying if they can cut it thicker.
Choose an amount that suits your planned meals, and consider buying half a loaf or freezing portions. Follow the storage advice on the packaging; the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends freezing bread as a way to reduce waste.
No, white wheat bread contains gluten. If you’re looking for a gluten-free alternative, check the label and allergen information on the current packaging rather than relying on the bread’s colour or name.
