Choose a wholemeal sourdough loaf if crust and presentation are your priorities, or a smaller loaf if you need less alongside other dishes. A whole loaf can suit a larger group; a part-baked option lets you plan when to bake it, but you’ll need to make time for preparation too. For each loaf, check the wholemeal designation, allergens and preparation instructions on the current packaging.
For a King’s Day brunch or drinks, you might be looking for a wholemeal loaf with a distinctive crust or a satisfying bite. Albert Heijn describes its Liefde & Passie Dutch sourdough wholemeal loaf as having a firm bite; Jumbo describes rustic sourdough loaves that are baked in store.
You want to serve wholemeal bread, so you look beyond the name of the loaf at the ingredients and the fibre and salt listed per 100 g. These values can vary from one product to another.
If bread is just one part of the meal, a smaller loaf or freezing it in portions may be a better fit for the amount you need. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre gives a storage time of 2–4 days in a kitchen cupboard and 1–3 months in the freezer for wholemeal bread.
First, work out how much bread you need and whether you want to buy it fresh or bake it at home. Then compare the product description and label information for loaves that fit your plans.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Crust and presentation | Check whether it’s a sourdough, hearth-baked or part-baked loaf, and read the preparation instructions. | If the bread will be a centrepiece on my King’s Day table, I’m looking for a crust and character that suit the meal; this is the top priority for around 33% of consumers. |
| Wholemeal and nutritional information | Check the wholemeal designation and compare fibre and salt per 100 g. | I want to choose a wholemeal loaf and compare the nutritional information for different loaves on the same basis; this is the top priority for around 25% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current allergen information for the exact loaf; if it’s sold loose, ask before buying. | When I’m buying bread for guests, I want to know which ingredients and allergens are relevant to them; this is the main concern for around 25% of consumers. |
| Quantity and preparation | Compare the loaf’s weight with the rest of the meal and check whether it needs defrosting or baking. | When there are several dishes on the table, I don’t want to prepare more bread than we need; this planning matters most to roughly 17% of consumers. |
Sourdough describes how a loaf is made; it doesn’t in itself mean the bread is wholemeal. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, a product can only be described as wholemeal if all the grain ingredient is wholemeal flour.
If wholemeal bread is a must for your table, check the product description and ingredients list.
A loaf containing several grains or seeds may include ingredients you wouldn’t expect from its name. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains the mandatory allergen labelling requirements for pre-packed foods.
Read the information on the current packaging, including any statements that the product may contain an allergen. If the bread is sold loose, ask about allergens before buying.
You may need less bread for a brunch with several dishes than for a meal where bread is the main feature.
Compare the size of the loaf with your menu and follow the storage instructions. Choosing a smaller loaf or freezing bread in portions in good time are ways to plan how much you need.
The Liefde & Passie range includes a 600 g Dutch sourdough wholemeal loaf for anyone who wants to serve a whole loaf.
Jumbo describes a rustic sourdough range that’s baked in store, which includes a wholemeal pumpkin-seed variety.
Korenlanders Kleintje sourdough wholemeal poppy seed is a 300 g, part-baked multigrain sourdough loaf for a table where you need less bread.
Bakker van der Akker Boeren Extra vezels volkoren heel is a wholemeal loaf for anyone who needs a full loaf’s worth of bread but isn’t specifically looking for a sourdough option.
Lidl lists a Rustiek volkoren desembrood and describes it as a wholemeal wheat sourdough loaf.
These Joybuy products are round loaves from Lekhaven Bakkerij, available individually or in packs of two. They’re suited to a table where you want to plan when to bake the bread. Check the packaging to see whether the Dutch wholemeal designation applies and which preparation instructions to follow.
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For a table where you want to serve two round loaves or bake them at different times.
The pack contains two loaves, each weighing 550 g. Before choosing them as wholemeal bread for your guests, check the product description, ingredients and allergens on the packaging.
Allow time to defrost and bake the loaves according to the current instructions on the packaging.
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For a table where one round loaf is a better fit for the amount you need than a pack of two.
This loaf weighs 550 g. Check the Dutch wholemeal designation, ingredients and allergens on the current packaging.
Follow the defrosting and baking instructions on the packaging, including the baking time.
No, sourdough doesn’t automatically make a loaf wholemeal. Check the product description and ingredients: according to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, a product can only be described as wholemeal if all the grain ingredient is wholemeal flour.
Read the allergen information for the exact loaf you’re buying, including any statements that the product may contain an allergen. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says this information must be available before purchase for bread sold loose; ask if you can’t find it.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre gives a storage time of 2–4 days in a kitchen cupboard and 1–3 months in the freezer for wholemeal bread. If you want to use some later, it’s best to freeze it in portions soon after buying and follow any product-specific storage instructions.
No, you can’t assume that every loaf does. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority describes baker’s salt as the permitted way of adding iodine compounds to bread; check the ingredients list of the product you choose to see whether iodised salt is listed.
According to Jumbo, the rustic sourdough loaves in the in-store baked range described here aren’t available to order online. Check with the store you plan to visit to see whether it stocks the wholemeal variety you want.
