Choose a shop-bought rustic white sourdough loaf if you want slices to serve with toppings, white sourdough tear-and-share bread if you want guests to help themselves to pieces, or a bake-at-home baguette if you want to finish baking it just before serving. Check the ingredients, allergens and type of salt for the specific loaf: sourdough does not mean gluten-free, or that it has been made with iodised salt.
If you want to serve bread in slices with cheese or tapenade, for example, look for a rustic white sourdough loaf. Jumbo describes a rustic sourdough range sold in store, while Lidl also lists a rustic white wheat sourdough loaf that is only available in store.
If you want guests to be able to help themselves to pieces, white sourdough tear-and-share bread is a good choice. If you want to bake the bread just before your drinks party, PLUS offers a white sourdough baguette that you can finish baking at home. Check the preparation time on the packaging.
If you’re buying bread for guests who need to know about allergens or the type of salt used, check the information for the specific product. For unpackaged bread, you can ask about allergens before buying.
First decide whether you want sliced bread, pieces to share or bread that you can finish baking just before serving. Then check the ingredients and make sure your chosen type of bread will be available in time.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Crust and presentation | Choose a type of bread that you can serve in the slices or pieces you want. Check that a rustic white loaf is actually labelled as sourdough. | I want to serve slices of bread alongside the drinks-party spread, and the crust and appearance are key. For around 33% of consumers, presentation comes first. |
| Serving time and convenience | Check whether the bread is ready to serve or needs to be baked, and follow the packaging instructions for bake-at-home bread. | If I want guests to help themselves to pieces or I want to serve warm bread, preparation determines my choice. Around 25% of consumers say serving convenience is their top priority. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the latest ingredients and allergen information, including the grains and type of salt listed. Ask about allergens if the bread is unpackaged. | If a guest has a food allergy or questions about iodine, I want to know what’s in this specific loaf. Checking the ingredients comes first for around 25% of consumers. |
| Availability | Find out whether the bread can be ordered online or is only sold in store, and whether your chosen branch stocks it. | When I’m shopping shortly before my drinks party, I want to be able to pick up a suitable type of bread. Availability matters most to around 17% of consumers. |
A rustic-sounding name doesn’t confirm how the dough has risen. The rustic white loaves shown by ALDI and Dirk’s white bake-at-home baguette are not necessarily white sourdough products.
Look for the word ‘sourdough’ on the packaging, shelf label or product page, and check the ingredients.
The white sourdough products reviewed from Jumbo and PLUS list wheat and spelt. Bread made with these grains is not suitable for someone with coeliac disease, even if it’s sourdough.
If a guest needs to eat gluten-free, check that the specific product is explicitly labelled gluten-free. For unpackaged bread, ask about allergens before buying.
The word ‘sourdough’ doesn’t tell you what type of salt is in the bread. The products reviewed from Jumbo and PLUS list bakers’ salt and iodised salt respectively, but this information only applies to those products.
Read the ingredients for the bread you’re buying, or ask about the type of salt used if it’s unpackaged.
Jumbo says its rustic sourdough loaves from the in-store bakery can’t be ordered online. Lidl describes its rustic white sourdough loaf as available in store only.
Before planning your drinks party, check how you can buy the type of bread you want. If needed, have another option in mind as a back-up.
Albert Heijn’s white bread range includes products such as Biologisch OerDesem blond and OerDesem San Francisco.
Jumbo has a rustic sourdough range sold in store, as well as white sourdough tear-and-share bread and a white sourdough baguette.
Lidl lists a product called rustic white sourdough bread and describes it as white wheat sourdough bread.
PLUS offers a white bake-at-home sourdough baguette for anyone who wants to finish baking the bread themselves.
ALDI lists rustic white bread and bake-at-home bread as options for a drinks party.
Dirk lists a range of white and sourdough breads, including a rustic white bake-at-home baguette.
No. White sourdough made with regular wheat or spelt is not gluten-free. The white sourdough products reviewed from Jumbo and PLUS list these grains. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says bread made with gluten-containing grains is not suitable for people with coeliac disease. Check the label and allergen information for the specific product.
Check the available allergen information before buying, and ask a member of staff if it isn’t clearly displayed. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that sellers of unpackaged food must inform customers about any allergens it contains.
No. Sourdough doesn’t tell you what type of salt has been used. For the products reviewed, Jumbo lists bakers’ salt and PLUS lists iodised salt. For another loaf, check its own ingredients list or ask about the type of salt if it’s unpackaged.
Yes, as long as you follow the storage instructions for your chosen bread and plan its preparation around when you’ll serve it. You can bake a part-baked baguette later. Check the use-by date, storage instructions and baking instructions on the packaging.
