Who might enjoy this bread?

Fans of sourdough flavour and crust

You choose white sourdough bread mainly for its flavour and texture. If you’re happy to finish baking it at home or pop into a shop, you’ll have more options for how and where to buy it.

Time-poor breakfast eaters

You want bread that’s ready to serve quickly. In that case, whether it’s ready to eat or part-baked matters more than the name on the front of the pack.

Shoppers who compare labels

You want to know which grains and allergens the bread contains, whether yeast has been added, and what the packaging says about fibre, salt and iodised salt.

What should you look for when choosing?

First, decide whether you have time to finish baking the bread in the morning. Then compare the ingredients and nutritional information of the loaves that fit your schedule.

What to consider What should you check? Who might this matter to?
Sourdough flavour and crust Check the ingredients to see what type of sourdough starter is used and whether yeast has been added. If you want a warm crust, check the preparation instructions. I choose this bread mainly for its sourdough flavour and want to know what sort of crust to expect. For around 42% of consumers, flavour and crust come first.
Time in the morning Check whether the bread is ready to eat or part-baked, and look for the oven or air fryer time on the pack. If I want breakfast straight away, I don’t want to have to turn the oven on first. Around 33% of consumers prioritise convenience and saving time.
Label and nutritional information Compare allergens, fibre and salt per 100 g. Look in the ingredients list for sourdough starter, yeast and iodised salt or baker’s salt. I want to be able to check what’s in my bread and what nutritional information is provided before buying it. For around 25% of consumers, checking the label is the deciding factor.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming sourdough bread contains no added yeast

    For the white sourdough products discussed here, Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS also list yeast or baker’s yeast in the ingredients.

    If you’re looking for bread without added baker’s yeast, read the full ingredients list rather than relying on the product name alone.

  • Confusing white sourdough bread with wholemeal bread

    Using sourdough to make white bread doesn’t turn it into wholemeal bread. The Voedingscentrum recommends replacing white bread with wholemeal or brown bread as much as possible.

    If you want to choose wholemeal bread, check the type of bread on the label and compare the fibre content per 100 g.

  • Assuming every loaf contains iodised salt

    According to the Voedingscentrum, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. So you can’t tell which salt is in the bread just from the word sourdough.

    If it matters to you, check the ingredients for iodised salt or baker’s salt.

  • Buying part-baked bread without checking the preparation time

    Part-baked bread still needs to be finished in the oven. Albert Heijn recommends 8–10 minutes in an oven at 220 °C for AH OerDesem San Francisco; instructions may differ for other loaves.

    Before you buy, check which appliance you’ll need and follow the time and temperature instructions on the pack.

Brands to consider

These examples show the differences in preparation and ingredients you may find in white bread. Always assess each product individually.

Albert Heijn

AH OerDesem San Francisco wit is a part-baked white sourdough loaf.

  • According to Albert Heijn’s product information, it contains 11% wheat sourdough starter and iodised salt. The nutritional information provided lists 2.4 g of fibre and 0.95 g of salt per 100 g.
  • It also contains baker’s yeast, and Albert Heijn recommends baking it for 8–10 minutes at 220 °C. Check the current packaging for ingredients and allergen information.

Jumbo

Jumbo offers, among other products, part-baked white sourdough tear-and-share bread and rustic sourdough loaves baked in store.

  • According to Jumbo’s product information, Desem Breekbrood Wit lists sourdough and baker’s salt, with 3.4 g of fibre and 1.08 g of salt per 100 g.
  • The tear-and-share bread also lists yeast. Jumbo says its rustic sourdough loaves baked in store aren’t available to order online; that doesn’t necessarily apply to the tear-and-share bread.

PLUS

PLUS offers white sourdough bread and a part-baked white sourdough demi-baguette.

  • According to PLUS’s product information, Korenlanders Desem Wit contains 8% sourdough starter and baker’s salt. The nutritional information provided lists 3.1 g of fibre and 1.05 g of salt per 100 g.
  • Korenlanders Desem Wit also contains baker’s yeast. For its sourdough demi-baguette, PLUS recommends 8–10 minutes in the oven or 5–6 minutes in the air fryer; don’t use these instructions for other loaves.

ALDI

Bakkersgoud rustiek wit is an option to consider if rustic white bread will do instead of a loaf specifically labelled as sourdough.

  • ALDI describes this as white bread with a golden-brown crust and soft centre.
  • If you specifically want sourdough bread, check that sourdough starter is actually listed on the packaging.

Related products on Joybuy

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

Is white sourdough bread wholemeal?

No. Making white bread with sourdough starter doesn’t make it wholemeal. If these qualities matter to you, check the type of bread and the fibre content per 100 g on the label. The Voedingscentrum recommends replacing white bread with wholemeal or brown bread as much as possible.

Does all white sourdough bread contain iodised baker’s salt?

No. The Voedingscentrum says bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. If you want to check, look for iodised salt or baker’s salt in the ingredients list.

How long does it take to finish baking on a weekday?

That depends on the bread and the appliance. Albert Heijn recommends 8–10 minutes in an oven at 220 °C for AH OerDesem San Francisco; PLUS recommends 8–10 minutes in the oven or 5–6 minutes in an air fryer at 200 °C for its sourdough demi-baguette. Follow the instructions on the packaging of the product you buy.

Can I assume white sourdough bread is gluten-free?

No. The white sourdough products from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS discussed here list wheat or other gluten-containing grains. If you need to avoid gluten, check the current allergen information and don’t rely on the word sourdough.