Breakfast planners stocking up
If you don’t want to bake or shop on weekdays, choose sliced bread based on the pack size and guidance on how soon to use it. You could freeze any slices you won’t need straight away.
Which bread suits you?
People with specific ingredient requirements
If you need to check cereal types, seeds or allergens, read the information for the individual loaf—even if it’s described as wholemeal or sourdough. For unpackaged bread, you can ask for the details before buying.
Home bakers with time to plan ahead
If you can allow time for preparation, proving and baking, you could choose a bread mix or sourdough to bake at home. Remember to check the mix’s ingredients and whether you’ll need to add anything else.
What to look for when buying
Packaged, sliced bread
A good fit if: You want to put breakfast together quickly, without any morning preparation.
Things to consider: Ingredients and guidance on how soon to use the bread vary from product to product.
Bread from a bakery or in-store bakery
A good fit if: You plan to eat the bread soon and want to choose from what’s available in store.
Things to consider: For unpackaged bread, you may need to ask for the ingredient and allergen information you need.
Homemade bread
A good fit if: You want to choose when to bake your bread.
Things to consider: You’ll need to allow time for preparation and baking before breakfast; a bread mix isn’t automatically yeast-free or wheat-free.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Wholemeal status | The product description and the wholegrain cereals listed in the ingredients. | If I want wholemeal bread, a dark colour and visible grains aren’t enough to go by. Around 31% of consumers prioritise checking this when buying. |
| Convenience and stocking up | Whether the bread is sliced, the pack size and guidance on how soon to use it after opening. | I want bread ready in the morning without baking, in a pack size that suits how much I eat over several days. This is the priority for around 25% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | The cereal types, other ingredients, and allergen or ‘may contain’ information for the specific product. | I need to be able to tell before buying whether the bread contains ingredients that matter to me. Around 25% of consumers put this first. |
| Freshness and baking effort | For bread mixes, the ingredients you’ll need to add, as well as the preparation, proving and baking times. | Freshly baking my own bread matters more to me than having bread ready to eat straight away, even if I need to plan for it. Around 19% of consumers make this their top priority. |
Common misconceptions
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Assuming grains or a dark colour mean the bread is wholemeal
Appearance doesn’t tell you whether bread meets the requirements for a wholemeal description. The German Food Book Commission’s guidelines specify that at least 90% of the cereals used must be wholegrain.
Look for the description ‘wholemeal bread’, then check which cereals have been used.
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Assuming sourdough tells you about allergens
Sourdough bread can contain other ingredients and allergens. For example, the PEMA Rye Sourdough Bread listed by REWE includes lupin flour and may contain traces of wheat.
For packaged bread, check the specific ingredient and allergen information. For unpackaged bread, ask before buying.
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Buying a large pack without a plan for storing it
Even bread bought to keep in stock needs to suit how much you actually eat. How long it stays fresh depends on factors including the type of bread and how it’s stored.
Choose a pack size that suits the number of breakfasts you’re planning, and freeze any slices you’ll need later.
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Taking ‘artisan’ as a substitute for product information
The description alone doesn’t tell you which ingredients or methods were used for a particular loaf.
If you need to, ask how it’s made. Base your choice on the wholemeal description and the information about ingredients, allergens and storage.
Brands and retailers to consider
Seitenbacher
A place to look for wholemeal bread mixes and sourdough for home baking, rather than ready-sliced breakfast bread.
- The wholemeal bread mix described by Seitenbacher contains wholemeal rye flour, wholemeal wheat flour, spelt, dried yeast and sea salt.
- If you need to avoid wheat or yeast, don’t choose this mix based on it being wholemeal or sourdough alone.
PEMA
An example of packaged rye sourdough bread whose specific ingredients you can check before buying.
- The PEMA Rye Sourdough Bread listed by REWE is described as containing 39% wholemeal rye meal and 25% natural sourdough.
- The product information also lists lupin flour and warns that it may contain traces of wheat.
REWE
A retailer whose product information can help you shortlist packaged bread.
- The page for PEMA Rye Sourdough Bread lists the ingredients and warns that it may contain traces of wheat.
- Always base your choice on the information for the specific loaf you’re buying.
EDEKA
A useful source of information about wholemeal bread and possible rye and wheat blends.
- EDEKA explains the wholemeal description; the German Food Book Commission’s guidelines specify that at least 90% of the cereals used must be wholegrain.
- For a specific loaf, check the sourdough and cereal types individually.
Lidl – Unser Brot
A supplier of in-store bakery bread, with options to choose from in store.
- Lidl describes some of its bread range as containing natural rye sourdough.
- Check the specific product to find out whether a particular loaf is wholemeal and which allergens it contains.
A bread mix for home bakers
This bread mix is an option if you’d like to bake your own spelt wholemeal bread for weekday breakfasts and can plan the preparation in advance.
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Küchenmeister Spelt Wholemeal Bread Mix, 1 kg
For home bakers who can prepare bread before a weekday breakfast; this mix isn’t ready to eat straight away.
1 kg spelt wholemeal bread mix. Before baking, check the preparation instructions and the ingredient and allergen information on the pack.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell if bread is wholemeal?
Look for the description ‘wholemeal bread’ and check which cereals have been used. Under the German Food Book Commission’s guidelines, bread described this way must contain at least 90% wholegrain cereals; grains on the crust don’t prove it.
Does sourdough prove that bread has been made traditionally?
No. Sourdough alone doesn’t tell you how a particular loaf was made overall. If the method matters to you, ask about the specific steps and ingredients rather than relying on the description.
How can I store bread for several breakfasts?
Start by choosing a pack size that suits how much you eat. The German consumer advice centre recommends storing bread appropriately and suggests freezing it if you want to keep it for longer; you can freeze individual slices in portions.
What should I ask about allergens in bread from an in-store bakery?
Before buying, ask about allergens in the specific loaf and any other ingredients that matter to you. Don’t assume what it contains based on terms such as ‘rye’, ‘wholemeal’ or ‘sourdough’ alone.