Choose a rustic sourdough loaf, freshly baked in store, if the crust and presentation matter for your dinner and you can shop shortly before serving. A smaller, packaged loaf is a better fit if you want to check the ingredients in advance and are looking for a size for two. Whichever you choose, check that the specific loaf is wholemeal, what allergens and salt it contains, and how it is sold or stored.
If you’re serving bread with a dip, cheese or other toppings, the crust, crumb and when you buy it all matter. If you’re choosing a freshly baked loaf from a shop, it’s worth checking in advance that your local branch stocks the variety you want.
A dark colour or the word ‘sourdough’ isn’t enough. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises looking for the word ‘wholemeal’ on the packaging to identify wholemeal bread.
If you’re buying bread for a guest with an allergy, checking the salt, or sorting out the shopping ahead of time, check the ingredients, allergens, how it’s sold and the storage instructions for the exact loaf you plan to serve.
First, decide what role the bread will play at dinner. Then check the ‘wholemeal’ claim and the product details for the variety you’ve chosen. A loaf from the in-store bakery, a smaller part-baked loaf and one you can order online will each need a different kind of planning.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who this matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Crust and presentation | Check whether the sourdough variety is freshly baked in store and whether its size suits the way you plan to serve it. Check availability at your local branch. | If I’m serving the bread on a sharing board, I want a crust and size that work well. For around 46% of consumers, presentation comes first. |
| Confirmed wholemeal | Look for the word ‘wholemeal’ on the packaging of the specific loaf. Don’t rely on its colour or descriptions such as ‘multigrain’ or ‘sourdough’ alone. | When choosing sourdough, I also want to be sure it’s wholemeal. Around 36% of consumers prioritise that certainty. |
| Ingredients and planning | Read the current label for allergen and baker’s salt information, and check how to order the loaf and how to store it. | For my guest and the time I plan to serve it, I need to know what’s in the bread and when I can buy or prepare it. These checks are the main priority for around 18% of consumers. |
A brown colour, grains on the crust or a sourdough proving method doesn’t tell you on its own whether a loaf is wholemeal. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, the relevant check for bread is whether it’s labelled ‘wholemeal’.
Check the label on the variety you’re buying before choosing based on its appearance or flavour description.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, not all bread is made with iodised baker’s salt. This may matter if you’re checking the salt information when choosing your bread.
Look for ‘baker’s salt’ on the label, or ask the baker which salt was used.
Wholemeal sourdough bread may contain several gluten-containing grains. PLUS lists wheat and rye, among other ingredients, in its Korenlanders Kleintje desembrood volkoren maanzaad.
Before serving, check the current ingredients and allergen information for the exact variety you’ve chosen, including any ‘may contain’ statements.
Jumbo says its rustic sourdough loaves are only available in store. Lidl also describes its rustic wholemeal sourdough bread as an in-store product.
Before dinner, check how the loaf is sold and whether it’s available at your local branch. If you choose a different loaf, make sure it’s a suitable size.
Having to visit another branch at the last minute takes extra time. A larger replacement loaf may also leave you with more bread than you need.
Compare the specific loaf at each shop. A range that includes both wholemeal bread and sourdough doesn’t mean every variety has both qualities.
A place to check a specific wholemeal sourdough variety in advance, such as AH OerDesem volkoren Allinson heel gesneden.
An in-store option for rustic sourdough loaves if you want to buy your bread shortly before dinner.
An in-store option with a product specifically described as rustic wholemeal wheat sourdough bread.
An option if you’re looking for wholemeal bread and sourdough isn’t a must.
A place to check the details of a smaller wholemeal sourdough loaf for two in advance.
An in-store option with both wholemeal bread and sourdough in its described bread range.
Check that the packaging says ‘wholemeal’. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, this means bread is made with 100% wholemeal flour. ‘Sourdough’ describes the proving method and doesn’t, by itself, mean the bread is wholemeal.
Check the ingredients list for baker’s salt. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says it isn’t used in every loaf. If the bread is unwrapped, you can ask the baker which salt was used.
No. The words ‘wholemeal’ and ‘sourdough’ don’t mean a loaf is gluten-free. PLUS lists wheat and rye, among other ingredients, in its Korenlanders Kleintje desembrood volkoren maanzaad. Check the current label and allergen information for every individual loaf.
It depends on the loaf and the shop. Albert Heijn and PLUS list specific wholemeal sourdough loaves online, while Jumbo describes its rustic sourdough loaves as available in store only. Check how to order your chosen variety before planning dinner.
