Stick with rusks if you want to serve the usual crunchy treat for a new arrival. Choose white sourdough bread if you specifically want to serve bread with butter and aniseed sprinkles; just check the portion size, any baking instructions and the label. Sourdough alone tells you nothing about whether baker’s salt has been used or what allergens the bread contains.
Rusks with aniseed sprinkles are the usual treat, as 24Baby also explains. If you’d rather serve white sourdough bread, think about how you’ll offer it in small portions with butter and sprinkles.
The term sourdough doesn’t tell you everything about the type of salt or the allergens. For packaged bread, check the ingredients list and allergen information for that specific product.
Product formats and ways of selling them vary. Jumbo describes sourdough loaves baked in store that can’t be ordered online, while Lidl lists its rustic white sourdough bread as an in-store product. Check that the way you can buy and prepare it suits your plans.
Choose this: if you want to keep the usual crunchy base for the new-arrival treat.
The trade-off: rusks don’t have the bread-like bite you’d get from white sourdough bread.
Choose this: if you specifically want to serve bread with aniseed sprinkles instead of traditional rusks.
The trade-off: a large loaf or a firm crust needs consideration if you want to make small portions.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| How it’s served | Check whether you’re choosing a whole loaf, a tear-and-share loaf or part-baked bread, and how you’ll make it into small portions. | I want to serve bread with aniseed sprinkles, but make portions that are suitable for visitors to a new baby; serving style is the top priority for around 37% of consumers. |
| Sourdough and availability | Check that it’s labelled as sourdough, and see whether you can order it online or buy it only in store. | If I’m specifically choosing sourdough, I want to know which bread I can actually buy. Around 27% of consumers prioritise this combination of product type and availability. |
| Label | Read the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information. Look specifically for baker’s salt if the type of salt matters to your choice. | I want to assess the ingredients without making assumptions about iodine or allergens from the word sourdough; the label is the top priority for around 18% of consumers. |
| Preparation | Check whether the bread is ready to serve or needs baking according to the packaging. | If I want to have the treat ready in good time, I need to know in advance whether I’ll need to put it in the oven. Preparation matters most to around 18% of consumers. |
ALDI calls its bread Bakkersgoud rustiek wit, while Dirk sells batard wit. Those product names alone don’t tell you whether the bread contains sourdough.
If sourdough is a must, check the product description and ingredients list before choosing a rustic white loaf.
According to the Voedingscentrum, baker’s salt contains iodine, but bakers aren’t required to use it. So the name white sourdough bread doesn’t tell you what type of salt was used.
Look for baker’s salt on the label or ask the baker which salt is in the bread.
Jumbo lists gluten, spelt and wheat as allergens in its white sourdough tear-and-share bread. PLUS lists wheat and rye among the ingredients in its Korenlanders Desem Wit.
If you need a gluten-free product, rely on the labelling for that specific product and check for any warnings about cross-contamination too.
PLUS gives Korenlanders Desem Wit bake-off preparation instructions. Jumbo also describes sourdough loaves baked in store that can’t be ordered online.
Before you buy, check whether you’ll need to bake the bread and where you can get it, especially if you’re planning to serve it on a particular day.
Albert Heijn’s Allerhande offers a sourdough bread recipe using a natural raising agent.
Jumbo lists a white sourdough tear-and-share loaf, as well as sourdough loaves baked in store.
PLUS lists Korenlanders Desem Wit as white sourdough bread with bake-off preparation instructions.
Lidl describes its rustic white sourdough bread as a white wheat sourdough loaf.
ALDI lists Bakkersgoud rustiek wit as white bread.
Dirk lists batard wit, a bread made with wheat and rye and finished with a firm crust.
No. White sourdough bread is a type of bread, not a rusk. Choose it if you specifically want to serve butter and aniseed sprinkles on a different base; think in advance about how you’ll divide the bread into small portions.
No. The term sourdough doesn’t tell you what type of salt has been used. According to the Voedingscentrum, baker’s salt contains iodine, but bakers don’t have to use it. Check the label or ask the baker.
No. Jumbo lists gluten, spelt and wheat as allergens in its white sourdough tear-and-share bread, while PLUS Korenlanders Desem Wit contains wheat and rye. If you need a gluten-free option, always check the labelling and allergen information for the specific product.
It depends on the product: PLUS gives Korenlanders Desem Wit bake-off preparation instructions. Follow the directions on the packaging of the bread you buy.
No. The term sourdough doesn’t mean that a white loaf is wholemeal. According to the Voedingscentrum, white bread contains fewer nutrients than wholemeal bread; compare the nutritional information on the label for individual products.
