Best supermarket sourdough bread for 2026 has been named - not Jason's or Bertinet

The UK's best sourdough bread for 2026 has been named, and a supermarket own-brand has taken the crown. A panel of 71 taste testers pitted 11 loaves from the likes of Asda, Sainsbury's and Tesco against brands Bertinet, Celtic Bakers and Jason's.

However, tasters weren't especially impressed with any of the brands in the Which? test. Instead, two supermarket sourdoughs were crowned 'Best Buys', which means the consumer champion endorses them, and supermarkets took all three poll positions, with a "decent and cheap all-rounder" taking third place. Ultimately the crown went to Co-op for its Irresistible Hand Finished White Sourdough, costing £2.65.

With a score of 73%, tasters said the texture was excellent, 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. However, it was the priciest bread in the test, so customers could opt for Tesco's £1.95 choice, which came just one percentage point behind.

The Tesco Finest White Sourdough Loaf was crowned a Best Buy since tasters loved the "excellent" texture, which set it apart from those lower down the table. More than three-quarters said it had the right firmness and airiness, and most enjoyed its flavour intensity and tanginess, but you get slightly less bread from the 400g loaf.

Next up came Morrisons, offering a larger 500g loaf for the same price. The Best White Sourdough Sliced Half Boule scored 67%, with around two-thirds enjoying the crust's texture and firmness, and more than half enjoying its flavour and tanginess. Which? said it was a good choice for people who enjoy a milder flavour - and who want a cheaper option.

The supermarkets dominated the following results, while the brands were deemed not "much to write home about", coming in eighth, ninth and tenth place.

The Ocado White Sourdough at £2.25 came in fourth, with a generally liked texture. Many found this loaf overly sour and lacking in flavour.

Tasters enjoyed the texture of Asda's Exceptional White Sourdough Loaf's crust, but many found the bread itself too dense and weakly flavoured. It costs £2.44.

Sainsbury's Sourdough Medium Sliced White Bread, Taste the Difference, was described as pleasantly chewy, with a good texture to the crust and bread. However, testers thought the £1.95 loaf lacked the sour tang.

Aldi came next with its Specially Selected White Sourdough Sliced Loaf, the cheapest on the list at £1.75. Testers rated the texture but said it lacked much tang for a sourdough.

Now came the brands. Most found the Bertinet Rustic Country White Sourdough, which costs £2.40 and is a darker colour, too firm, although half enjoyed its sour tang.

The popular brand Jason's came next, with a 62% score for The Great White. Its texture and chewiness was well-liked, but many found it oversoft. It costs £2.10 for 450g.

Celtic Bakers Organic White Sourdough was found to be too firm and dense for most, with less than half rating the flavour well. It costs £2.50 for 500g.

Waitrose No.1 White Sourdough Bread came last, with testers not rating the flavour, or the dense texture of the £2.25 loaf.

All the breads were sold as half loaves, with most weighing 500g, except for Jason's at 450g, and Sainsbury's and Tesco at 400g.