Best sourdough bread: Bertinet, Celtic Bakers and Jason's vs the supermarkets

Sourdough bread from the supermarket is less pricey than a bakery-bought loaf, but can any ready-packed loaf hit the spot for texture and tang in the same way?

A panel of 71 people gathered at our test lab to try out 11 different sourdough loaves you can buy at the supermarket. These included brands such as Bertinet, Celtic Bakers and Jason's, alongside supermarket own labels such as Asda, Sainsbury's, Tesco and others.

Our testers weren't especially impressed with any of the brands. Our two Best Buys are both supermarket loaves, and another supermarket claimed third place with a decent and cheap all-rounder.

All the breads are sold as half loaves. Most of them weigh 500g; the  exceptions are Jason's (450g), plus Sainsbury's and Tesco (400g).

Best sourdough bread

Co-op’s sourdough came top of the table, closely followed by Tesco. Both of these are Best Buys.

Morrisons trailed a little, but is still a decent all-rounder that costs less. 

Best Buy: Co-op Irresistible Hand Finished White Sourdough 

Price: £2.65 (500g)

Score: 73%

Much enjoyed by our panel, Co-op’s bread looked the part, and the all-important texture was excellent. 

Most testers said the crust was just right – neither too soft nor too hard – while the bread itself was the perfect balance of airy firmness.

It had a pleasant flavour with a good level of tanginess, and most felt it had the right amount of chew.

It’s the priciest bread in our test, but Co-op's loaf is a great choice if texture is your top priority.

Unlike the other breads on test, this one has yoghurt, yeast and semolina among its ingredients.

Available at Co-op.

Best Buy: Tesco Finest White Sourdough Loaf

Price: £1.95 (400g)

Score: 72%

Tesco’s sourdough was another favourite among our testers and is our second Best Buy.

An excellent texture made it stand out from those lower in the table. More than three quarters of tasters said the bread had the right firmness and airiness, and nearly as many liked the crust.

It also had an excellent chewy texture.

Most tasters enjoyed its strength of flavour and tanginess.

Available from Tesco.

Morrisons The Best White Sourdough Sliced Half Boule

Price: £1.95 (500g)

Score: 67%

Morrisons’ light-coloured loaf makes for a good compromise between quality and price.

More than half of our tasters enjoyed its flavour and tanginess. The remainder found it somewhat bland, wanting a stronger taste and tangier hit.

Around two thirds liked the texture of the crust and firmness of the bread, with slightly fewer approving the chew. A third found it a bit too chewy for their liking.

If you'd like a mildly flavoured sourdough that costs less than average, this loaf from Morrisons would be a good option.

Available from Morrisons.

How other sourdough breads compare

Our tasters also liked some of the other loaves, especially Ocado and Asda. 

The brands weren't much to write home about, though, and Waitrose's loaf was the least liked of all.

• Ocado White Sourdough – 65%. Its texture was generally liked, but many found this loaf overly sour and lacking in flavour. £2.25 for 500g (45p per 100g). Available from Ocado.
• Asda Exceptional White Sourdough Loaf – 64%. Tasters enjoyed the texture of the crust more than the bread itself, which many found too dense and weakly flavoured. £2.44 for 500g (49p per 100g). Available from Asda.
• Sainsbury’s Sourdough Medium Sliced White Bread, Taste the Difference – 63%. Pleasantly chewy, with a good texture to the crust and bread, but lacked the sour tang. £1.95 for 400g (49p per 100g). Available from Sainsbury’s.
• Aldi Specially Selected White Sourdough Sliced Loaf – 62%. Not much tang for a sourdough loaf, but a decent texture and the cheapest on test. £1.75 for 500g (35p per 100g). Available in-store at Aldi.
• Bertinet Rustic Country White Sourdough – 62%. Most found this dark-coloured bread too firm, although half enjoyed its sour tang. £2.40 for 500g (48p per 100g). Available from Ocado and Waitrose.
• Jason’s The Great White – 62%. Light in colour with a well-liked texture and chewiness. Many found it oversoft, though. £2.10 for 450g (47p per 100g). Available from Amazon, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose.
• Celtic Bakers Organic White Sourdough – 61%. Too firm and dense for most, and less than half rated the flavour highly. £2.50 for 500g (50p per 100g). Available from Ocado, Sainsbury's and Waitrose.
• Waitrose No.1 White Sourdough Bread – 59%. Unimpressive flavour, and the texture was too firm and dense. £2.25 for 500g (45p per 100g). Available from Waitrose.

Supermarket sourdough: what's the difference between a sourdough loaf from the baker and supermarket sourdough?

Full results from our supermarket sourdough bread test

How we tested sourdough bread

Our panel of 71 tasters gathered at our specialist test lab and were served up nearly 800 half-slices of sourdough bread in our bid to find the tastiest supermarket options.

All the loaves were blind-tasted, so our tasters had no idea and therefore no preconceptions about which might be better.

They each had a separate private testing booth, so they couldn't discuss what they were tasting or be influenced by other tasters.

The tasters rated the flavour, aroma, appearance and texture of each bread, and told us what they liked and disliked. 

The overall score was based on:

• 50% flavour
• 20% texture
• 15% appearance
• 15% aroma

Find out more about our editorial independence policy and see behind the scenes of our taste tests to understand more about how we work

Is sourdough bread healthy?

Like standard bread, sourdough has a moderate salt content, so it's worth keeping an eye on how much you consume. Loaves from Asda and Morrisons had the least salt (0.75g per 100g), while Bertinet and Celtic Bakers were the saltiest, with 1.1g and 1.2g respectively.

Fat and sugar levels are low, and you get a little bit of fibre from your slice.

Traditional sourdough bread contains just four ingredients: flour, water, salt, plus a fermented flour and water 'starter'. 

The fermentation process adds yeast and bacteria to the mix, the latter of which contains acids that supply the tangy taste associated with sourdough. 

Supermarket sourdough generally contains fortified wheat flour, rye flour, fermented wheat flour and salt. We saw other ingredients crop up, however. For example, Ocado and Sainsbury's use soya flour rather than rye flour. Celtic bakers is the only one to use organic flour.

Unlike the others on test, Best Buy Co-op's loaf contains yoghurt, yeast, semolina and sunflower oil. It's also the only loaf on test not suitable for vegans.

Price and availability checked: November 2025