Sourdough bread has experienced a remarkable rise in popularity over recent years, and the reasons are fairly straightforward. Traditionally crafted with fewer ingredients and additives compared to standard white or wholemeal varieties, it represents an ideal option for those seeking to cut back on ultra-processed foods whilst simultaneously improving their wellbeing.

Scientific evidence confirms sourdough's health benefits, as the fermentation process involved in creating the dough aids our digestive system, whilst simultaneously boosting nutrient bioavailability and helping to stabilise blood sugar levels. The fermentation process additionally functions as a prebiotic, similar to yoghurt and sauerkraut, which supports beneficial gut bacteria.

Nevertheless, anyone who's previously purchased sourdough from supermarkets or bakeries will have observedconsiderable variations between loaves, both in taste and texture.

One woman called Becca took matters into her own hands to identify the finest sourdough breads on offer, purchasing 10 different loaves from various shops and bakeries to determine the ultimate winner.

"I've just gone and bought 10 of the most expensive sourdough breads, so let's try them all and see which one will taste the best," she said at the start of her TikTok video, before saying she would be trying them in order of price, starting with the cheapest loaf overall.

First up was a seeded sourdough loaf from Sainsbury's which set her back £2.35. Upon slicing through the bread, she observed it felt 'reasonably soft', though the crust fell short of expectations.

"This is awful," she announced after sampling the bread, noting it lacked the characteristic sourdough tang and instead resembled 'average standard bread'. Consequently, she awarded it five out of ten points.

Progressing to the second most affordable loaf, she presented a Tesco Finest sourdough, purchased for £2.75. She remarked that it appeared denser than the Sainsbury's offering.

"It's not bad, I've had better," she commented after tasting it, explaining that the excessive density brought the rating down to six and a half out of ten.

The third contender was the Celtic Bakers Multiseed sourdough loaf, priced at £2.95, which immediately disappointed upon cutting. She displayed the slice whilst describing it as 'awful bread'.

Whilst acknowledging it possessed a 'lovely sourdough flavour', she maintained the texture spoiled the experience. This resulted in the poorest score yet of four out of ten.

Next on the list was another loaf from Celtic Bakers. This time, she sampled the spelt sourdough loaf, priced at £3.30.

Once more, she found the bread to be 'rock solid' and stale, likening it to 'cardboard', despite its pleasant flavour. Consequently, it received a lower rating of three and a half out of ten.

Returning to supermarket own brands, she proceeded with the £3.60 Marks and Spencer large San Francisco style sourdough loaf. Upon slicing into the loaf, she immediately noted its appealing crust and fluffy interior - typical characteristics of a sourdough loaf.

Upon tasting, she observed that it was under seasoned and could benefit from additional salt, as well as 'more of that sourdough tang'.

"Texture wise though, pretty much perfect," she commented, before awarding it seven and a half out of ten.

She continued: "Next up, we have Parson's Bakery, they have over 30 bakeries across the southwest, in Bristol, Cardiff, Gloucestershire."

She had chosen the large sourdough loaf, costing a total of £3.90. At first glance, she remarked that it resembled the Marks and Spencer loaf in terms of texture, but the similarities ceased once she tasted it.

"The bread's tasteless," she declared. "That's rubbish sourdough. Parson's gets a four out of ten.

"We're getting into the pretty pricey sourdoughs now," Becca announced as she moved onto the £4.85 sourdough loaf from Gails Bakery, purchased from Ocado.

Looking distinctly unimpressed by the texture of her sliced portion, she grimaced immediately after her initial taste. She added: "Oh, this is horrible. It's dense, it's thick, it's just like crumbling into dust in my mouth."

She noted that regarding the flavour, it was 'nothing special', resulting in a five out of ten rating.

Becca continued with another loaf from the well-known bakery chain, this time sampling their seeded variety, priced slightly higher at £4.95."

It feels a little bit better than the standard white loaf," she started before trying it. "That's quite nice. Still a little too dense, but the seeds flavour are lovely. I like the sourdough flavour, it comes out nice and strong."

Because of this, Becca awarded it seven and a half out of ten, stating she'd buy it again.

Moving on to the second most expensive sourdough loaf, costing £5.50 from a bakery called the Artisan Baker, with locations across Gloucester, Cheltenham, and Stroud. She'd selected the seeded sourdough variety.

"Look at that, that is what we want," she remarked whilst holding up the slice to showcase the airy interior with a sturdier crust. However, she continued by saying that whilst she appreciated the flavour of the bread's interior, she favoured the sourdough taste from Gails' seeded loaf, claiming the Artisan Baker's flavour was a 'little too weak'.

Again, she awarded the loaf seven and a half out of ten, matching Gails' seeded sourdough loaf.

Finally, the most expensive loaf, which had cost Becca £8.15, was another sourdough from the Artisan Baker, this time a 1.2 kilogram sourdough loaf."

The inside has got a lovely fluffiness to it," she said, though noted it wasn't quite as fluffy as the seeded variety, whilst also commenting that the crusts were slightly too tough. Nevertheless, she commended its flavour, which ultimately earned it a score of eight and a half out of ten.

In conclusion, the top three loaves were Tesco's Finest in third place, followed by the seeded loaves from Gails and the Artisan Baker. But claiming first place was the priciest loaf of all, the plain sourdough from the Artisan Baker.