If you want to serve the loaf whole and slice it yourself, look for a rustic sourdough or hearth loaf. For a smaller gathering, a smaller loaf may be a better fit. Don’t let its appearance make the decision for you: check that the variety is labelled wholemeal, and review its nutritional information and allergens. Bread that needs baking also takes time to prepare before serving.
You want to serve a loaf alongside your Sunday roast and slice or tear it at the table. A whole sourdough or hearth loaf is a more suitable place to start than pre-sliced bread; check the crust of the variety you choose, too.
You don’t want to rely on a dark colour or the name ‘multigrain’. Look for the wholemeal label on the packaging and, for specific products, compare details such as fibre and salt per 100 g.
You want enough bread for the meal without accidentally having lots left over. A smaller loaf or saving portions for later may suit your plans better than automatically choosing a large one.
First decide how you want to serve the bread and how much you’ll need. Then check the wholemeal label, nutritional information and ingredients for each variety. A rustic name alone won’t tell you what’s in it.
Choose this if: you want a sourdough loaf to make a feature of as a side dish. Jumbo describes its Dubbel Donker Desem Volkorenbrood as having a thin, crisp crust; Lidl sells a Rustiek volkoren desembrood.
Bear in mind: sourdough alone doesn’t tell you how much fibre or salt the bread contains, or which allergens it may contain. Jumbo lists sesame in the variety mentioned.
Choose this if: you want to slice a whole loaf yourself. Albert Heijn and Dirk each sell a wholemeal hearth loaf.
Bear in mind: check the crust, ingredients and quantity you need for the specific loaf before buying.
Choose this if: you’re serving a few people. PLUS lists a 300 g Korenlanders Kleintje desembrood volkoren maanzaad.
Bear in mind: a smaller loaf may not be enough if you also want to save bread for another meal. Check the allergens listed for the PLUS variety.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Especially relevant if |
|---|---|---|
| Crust and presentation | Check whether the loaf is whole and what the retailer says about the crust of that variety. | I want to put bread on the table alongside the roast, slice it myself and make the crust a priority. Around 40% of consumers give this serving preference top priority. |
| Wholemeal status and nutritional information | Check for the wholemeal label and compare fibre and salt per 100 g for the exact varieties. | A dark colour doesn’t convince me: I want to know what type of grain it contains and what the nutritional information says. For around 30% of consumers, these checks matter most. |
| Quantity and freshness | Choose a size that suits the number of people eating and any leftovers you have planned; consider when you’ll buy or bake the bread. | When I’m serving a small gathering, I want enough bread for Sunday without having lots left over. This is the main consideration for around 20% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the current packaging for both the ingredients and any allergen warnings or possible traces. | If I’m buying for guests with a food allergy, I need to be able to check the ingredients of that particular loaf. Around 10% of consumers put this check first. |
Rustic, dark and multigrain don’t automatically describe the grain used. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, a product in the Netherlands can only be labelled wholemeal if all the grain ingredients are wholemeal flour.
Look for the wholemeal label on the specific variety. Also check the ingredients and nutritional information if fibre or salt are important to your choice.
When you’re sharing a meal, ingredients may matter more than the crust or flavour. Jumbo lists sesame in its Dubbel Donker Desem Volkorenbrood; PLUS lists cereals containing gluten and possible traces of other allergens in its Kleintje desembrood volkoren maanzaad.
Check the current packaging. If you’re buying unwrapped bread, ask the shop for allergen information about the specific variety.
A whole hearth loaf may be more than you need for a small gathering. On the other hand, a smaller loaf may not be suitable if you’re deliberately saving bread for later.
Choose the amount with both meals in mind. If you want to save some bread, divide it into portions in good time and follow the storage instructions.
ALDI says its Bakkersgoud range is available in shops with a bakery section. So a product name alone won’t tell you whether that variety is stocked at your local shop.
Before your Sunday roast, check the range at the shop where you plan to buy it, then check the packaging again when you shop.
These brands offer examples of the types of bread mentioned. Always check the ingredients, size and crust of the specific product.
AH Vloerbrood volkoren heel is worth considering if you want to slice a whole hearth loaf yourself.
Jumbo Dubbel Donker Desem Volkorenbrood is a rustic sourdough option for anyone who particularly wants to consider the crust.
Lidl sells a product called Rustiek volkoren desembrood.
ALDI includes Bakkersgoud Rustiek extra volkoren in its range for shops with a bakery section.
PLUS Korenlanders Kleintje desembrood volkoren maanzaad is a part-baked, wholemeal multigrain sourdough loaf weighing 300 g.
Dirk sells Vloerbrood volkoren heel as a separate variety for anyone who wants to slice a whole loaf.
These round loaves from Lekhaven Bakkerij suit the idea of serving a whole loaf and slicing it yourself. Both need preparing before serving. If you’re specifically looking for wholemeal bread, check the current packaging: the listed ingredients for both varieties include wheat flour as well as wholemeal wheat flour.
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A round loaf to slice and serve with your meal. Allow time for defrosting, baking and cooling before slicing.
The listed ingredients include both wholemeal wheat flour and wheat flour. Check the current packaging to make sure the loaf meets your wholemeal requirements, and check the allergens too.
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Two round loaves may be a good choice if you’re planning for more than one meal; choose an amount that suits your party. Allow time for defrosting, baking and cooling before slicing.
The listed ingredients include both wholemeal wheat flour and wheat flour. Check the current packaging for the wholemeal status and allergens of this variety.
No. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, a product labelled wholemeal must contain only wholemeal flour as its grain ingredient. Check the label on the specific loaf; its colour and the name ‘multigrain’ are no substitute.
No. Sourdough describes how the bread is proved, not whether it’s wholemeal. Choose it if the flavour and style of that particular loaf suit your meal, and check the wholemeal label, ingredients and nutritional information as well.
Check the allergen information for the bread you’re actually serving. PLUS lists cereals containing gluten and possible traces of oats, soya, sesame and lupin in its Korenlanders Kleintje desembrood volkoren maanzaad. Don’t assume the same information applies to other loaves.
Plan when to buy it around the storage instructions and allow time to defrost or bake it, if needed. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends storing opened wholemeal bread in a kitchen cupboard for 2–4 days or in the freezer for 1–3 months; its quality may decline if stored for longer.
Check the ingredients for the specific variety and, if necessary, ask the retailer which type of salt is used. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre identifies bread made with iodised baker’s salt as an important source of iodine in the Netherlands. Don’t assume which salt has been used just from the type of bread.
