For a currywurst gathering, sliced rye and wheat sourdough bread and bread from an in-store bakery offer two practical options. One can be served without any further preparation; the other lets you shop shortly before mealtime. Bake-at-home rolls need time in the oven and may contain wheat, while making your own sourdough starter takes several days. Check the grains, allergens and serving format of the specific bread rather than assuming that the word ‘sourdough’ tells you what it is made from.
If you need bread ready for several plates at once, sliced bread or pieces that are ready to serve are handy. ALDI Nord describes its Bauern-Schnitten as sliced rye and wheat bread made with natural sourdough; EDEKA’s bake-at-home rolls, on the other hand, still need time in the oven.
If you’re shopping shortly before mealtime, ask at the in-store bakery for a suitable loaf. REWE says its in-store bakeries are regularly restocked, while Lidl lists crusty bread made with natural sourdough in its range. Check the loaf itself to find out which varieties are available and how strong their flavour is.
If particular grains or allergens matter to your choice, read the information for the individual product. The German Coeliac Society points out that rye contains gluten; sourdough does not make rye bread gluten-free.
First decide whether you want bread ready to serve, plan to buy it shortly before mealtime or intend to bake it yourself. Then check the type of bread and its ingredients on the specific product.
Ideal if: You want to serve slices without needing to use the oven. ALDI Nord sells Bauern-Schnitten made with natural sourdough in a 500-g pack.
Bear in mind: Pack size and the way the bread is sliced don’t remove the need to check the ingredients and work out how much you’ll need.
Ideal if: You’re shopping shortly before serving and want a fresh crust. REWE says its baked goods are baked daily; Lidl lists crusty bread made with natural sourdough.
Bear in mind: The name ‘crusty bread’ alone doesn’t tell you how much rye is in it or what ingredients are used in the variety available at your local store.
Ideal if: You want to serve individual rolls and have time to use the oven just before mealtime. EDEKA says its GUT&GÜNSTIG Bauernbrötchen take 8–10 minutes to finish baking.
Bear in mind: According to EDEKA, these rolls contain wheat and rye flour, so they are not pure rye bread.
Ideal if: You want to choose the rye content, seasonings and shape yourself, and can get started in good time.
Bear in mind: EDEKA says a newly made sourdough starter needs four and a half days. It’s not something you can plan for a spontaneous evening.
| What matters | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity and portions | Pack weight and number of slices or pieces; for bake-at-home products, check the oven time too. | When I’m serving several plates at once, I want to dish up the bread without having to slice it or wait. For around 40% of consumers, easy portioning is the main priority. |
| Freshness and flavour | For bread from an in-store bakery, check the specific variety and when you’re buying it; for seasoned bread, check the ingredients. | With a spicy curry sauce, I’m looking for a crust and bread flavour I’ll enjoy alongside it. Freshness and flavour profile are the main priority for around 30% of consumers. |
| Grains and allergens | Check the ingredients list and allergen information, especially whether it contains wheat and what type of rye bread is on offer. | If the grains used are important to my choice, the word ‘sourdough’ isn’t enough. Around 30% of consumers put checking ingredients and suitability first. |
Rye contains gluten. The German Coeliac Society says that rye bread is therefore not suitable for people with coeliac disease simply because it is made with sourdough.
If you need to follow a gluten-free diet, choose an alternative explicitly labelled gluten-free and check its labelling.
EDEKA describes its sourdough Bauernbrötchen as being made with wheat and rye flour. A wholemeal rye bread, such as the one listed by ALDI SÜD, is a different type of product.
Read the ingredients and choose carefully between sliced bread, wholemeal bread and bake-at-home products.
The consumer advice centre points out that bread dries out and goes stale more quickly in the fridge. If you see any mould, throw away the whole loaf.
For the freshest crust, buy your bread as close to mealtime as possible. You can freeze portions if you need to keep them for longer.
Sliced rye and wheat bread for a side that doesn’t need baking.
An option if you’re specifically looking for wholemeal rye bread.
An in-store bakery range for shopping shortly before mealtime.
An in-store bakery service for anyone who wants to buy bread shortly before serving.
Bake-at-home rolls for individual portions, if you have time to use the oven before mealtime.
This selection features pumpernickel as a rye bread to serve with currywurst. If you specifically want sourdough bread, check how the individual product is made before buying.
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If you’d like to serve pumpernickel with currywurst, check that the flavour and number of slices will suit your gathering. The pack contains 500 g; check the product information to find out whether sourdough is used in this loaf.
No, ordinary rye sourdough bread is not a gluten-free alternative. The German Coeliac Society lists rye among the grains that contain gluten. If you need to follow a gluten-free diet, choose a product explicitly labelled gluten-free.
Ask at the in-store bakery or bakery for allergen information about the specific variety. For packaged bread, check the label on the pack; Lebensmittelklarheit covers allergen information for both types of sale.
Generally not: according to the consumer advice centre, bread dries out and goes stale more quickly in the fridge. You can freeze portions if you need to keep them for longer; storage may need a little more thought in very warm, humid weather.
EDEKA says it takes four and a half days to make a new sourdough starter. If you already have an active starter, the remaining timings depend on the recipe and proving times. Starting from scratch is therefore not an option for a spontaneous evening.