Choose a whole white sourdough loaf if you want generous slices for sweet and savoury toppings. Tear-and-share bread lets guests help themselves, while a bake-at-home baguette is a good option if you have room in the oven or air fryer just before lunch. Before buying, check the allergens, the type of salt used and whether you can pick up the bread in time.
A whole hearth-baked loaf gives you generous slices for a range of toppings. Albert Heijn describes AH Liefde & Passie Biologisch OerDesem blond as a 600 g white wheat sourdough loaf with a firm texture and crisp crust.
If you can bake it at home, PLUS’s white sourdough baguette is one option. Jumbo also describes sourdough loaves baked in-store, which you need to buy in-store rather than order online.
If any guests need to avoid certain ingredients, up-to-date ingredient and allergen information matters more than the word ‘sourdough’. For unpackaged bread, check the information before buying and, if necessary, ask which type of salt was used.
First, decide how you want to serve the bread and when you can pick it up or bake it. Then check the ingredients for your guests and choose an amount that suits the rest of your lunch.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Crust and presentation | Check whether the bread is sold whole and what the product description says about its crust and crumb. | If I’m putting one loaf at the centre of the table, I want to be able to cut generous slices that work with sweet and savoury toppings. For around 30% of consumers, presentation comes first. |
| Serving and baking | Check whether the bread is sliced or easy to share, and whether it needs baking. If it does, follow the instructions on the packaging. | If guests are helping themselves to small pieces, I want to keep slicing to a minimum. If I’m baking it just before the meal, I need to factor that into my plans. Around 30% of consumers prioritise how the bread is served. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current information about allergens present and possible traces. Check separately whether iodised salt or baker’s salt is listed. | If a guest needs to avoid certain ingredients, I want to know what’s in the bread before serving it. This is the main priority for around 20% of consumers. |
| Availability and quantity | Find out whether the bread is only available in-store, and compare the quantity with the number of guests and the rest of the lunch menu. | I want to have the bread at home in time without buying more than we’ll eat at lunch. For around 20% of consumers, getting this practical balance right matters most. |
Standard white sourdough bread may contain wheat; some varieties also contain spelt or other gluten-containing grains. The way it’s made doesn’t make these ingredients gluten-free.
If a guest needs to eat gluten-free, check that the product is explicitly labelled as gluten-free. For other allergies, read the current packaging or ask for allergen information if the bread is unpackaged.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. The words ‘organic’ and ‘sourdough’ don’t tell you whether the bread contains iodised salt.
Check the ingredients list for baker’s salt or iodised salt. If the bread is unpackaged and you need this information, ask in-store.
Jumbo says its rustic sourdough loaves baked in-store can’t be ordered online. Albert Heijn lists its OerDesem blond as only available in-store.
Before your Easter lunch, check how you can buy your chosen bread and whether it’s available at your local shop.
A large hearth-baked loaf and a smaller tear-and-share loaf won’t suit every table equally well. What else you’re serving also affects how much bread you’ll need.
Choose the size based on the number of guests and the rest of the food. Divide any leftover bread into portions to freeze, and follow the storage instructions on the packaging.
AH Liefde & Passie Biologisch OerDesem blond is a whole white wheat sourdough loaf for anyone who wants to serve generous slices.
According to its product information, Jumbo offers both rustic sourdough varieties baked in-store and packaged white sourdough tear-and-share bread.
PLUS offers a white sourdough baguette to bake at home, as well as a separate white wheat and rye sourdough loaf.
Lidl describes its Rustiek wit desembrood as a white wheat sourdough loaf.
ALDI features Bakkersgoud rustiek wit, a white loaf for anyone considering other types of bread for lunch too.
Dirk lists both white bread and sourdough in its wider bread range.
Standard white sourdough bread made with wheat or spelt isn’t gluten-free. The word ‘sourdough’ doesn’t tell you whether it’s suitable for someone with coeliac disease. Look for an explicit gluten-free label and check the current product information.
No, you can’t tell from the word ‘sourdough’. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. Check the label for baker’s salt or iodised salt, or ask which salt was used if the bread is unpackaged.
Before buying, ask which allergens are in that particular loaf. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that sellers of unpackaged food must provide customers with allergen information. Ask for it if it isn’t displayed with the bread.
Divide the leftover bread into portions that you can freeze and use later. Follow the storage instructions on the packaging; storage guidance for another type of bread won’t necessarily apply to your sourdough loaf.
