6 days ago
I've found the best supermarket sourdough loaves worth adding to your weekly shop
Remember a time before sourdough ruled the bakery roost? A simpler time, when tiger bread was a fancy weekend loaf, or a French stick would be a solid go-to. Now, sourdough is everywhere and has even become a status symbol. Some bakeries with cult followings sell out each morning (even on weekdays) and have queues snaking out the doors. So of course, supermarkets had to get in on the action and create their own.
Thought to date back thousands of years to ancient Egypt, sourdough isn't new, but what defines it is hard to agree on. ''Sourdough' isn't a legally protected term, so technically any bread can currently be called sourdough,' explains Swie Joo, head baker at The Palmerston restaurant in Edinburgh, which bakes all of its excellent own sourdough onsite in its downstairs bakery.
Generally, to be considered a sourdough, the bread must be made with a live sourdough starter (a culture made from natural yeast, not shop-bought, and bacteria) and go through a slow fermentation process. Joo advises checking the ingredients list of a sourdough loaf before you buy because if it has 'yeast' listed, it's not a genuine sourdough, as yeast should not be added.
Sourdough is a leavened bread, meaning the dough naturally rises as a result of the natural yeast, creating the distinct air pockets. A well-made sourdough has a good spongy 'crumb' (the bread's internal structure) with evenly sized and distributed air pockets. If fermentation or the bake goes wrong, it can lead to 'tunnelling', where the holes are too large and frequent.
In a bid to see if supermarkets could really impress with their sourdough loaves, I taste-tasted my way through more than 20 loaves. Here's how I got on.
How I tested
First and foremost, I kept the advice from head baker Swie Joo in mind, analysing the ingredient list of each loaf. I then tasted more than 20 loaves, including pre-sliced and non-sliced loaves from all the major supermarkets' own range. I also tested some well-known branded and higher-end options that are available in supermarkets. Where available, I chose a white loaf, so each sample was as similar as it could be. I ate it plain, in sandwiches and as toast with butter. When taste-testing, I considered the below:
Crumb: I was looking for a decent crumb (the interior of the bread), which should be spongy, fairly open with evenly sized and well-distributed air pockets. A well-fermented sourdough should have a moderately open crumb with holes and a springy texture. The overall rise was also considered.
Crust: I noted the exterior of the bread and whether it had a good crusty crunch. I also considered whether any of the loaves had toppings, such as seeds.
Taste: A sourdough loaf is known for its delicate sour and tangy taste, so I assessed how noticeable this was. I also assessed whether the taste leaned towards traditional white sourdough or had earthy, nutty notes typical of a wholemeal loaf.
Shelf life: I monitored how long each loaf stayed fresh, noting when signs of staleness and mould appeared. Sourdough tends to last around two to three days before it starts to stale and may show mould after five to seven days. If it lasted longer than this, it may suggest that preservatives were used in the bake.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Emma Henderson is a self-confessed foodie. She was also the editor of IndyEats, The Independent' s monthly digital food magazine, and was twice shortlisted for 'best food magazine' at the Guild of Food Writers Awards. She's sampled everything from Michelin-recommended menus to the best olive oils, so she knows exactly what is worth savouring. When it comes to sourdough, she's tasted the good, the bad and the questionably stodgy all in the name of journalism. Every loaf in this review has been rigorously tested, from sniffed and sliced to slathered in butter.
The best supermarket sourdough bread for 2025 is:
