Baking sourdough bread is a craft that dates back centuries, relying on natural fermentation and wild yeast rather than the predictable commercial yeast. For many enthusiasts, the most tedious part of the process is not the kneading, shaping, or baking—it's the starter management. Feeding your starter regularly, discarding overflow, and ensuring it's at peak activity exactly when you want to bake can feel like a chore. Enter the Sourdough Sidekick, a new kitchen gadget developed by FirstBuild (the innovation hub behind the Opal ice maker) in collaboration with King Arthur Baking Company.
The Sourdough Sidekick is designed to automate the boring part of sourdough baking: starter feeding. It promises to handle the daily or twice-daily feedings, freeing you to focus on the creative and satisfying steps of bread making. The device costs $179.99 and is currently available only in the United States through King Arthur Baking's website. It launched via a crowdfunding campaign in March 2025 and has since generated buzz among both amateur and experienced bakers.
At its core, the Sidekick is a simple machine. You place a small amount of your existing starter (15 grams, about a tablespoon) into a glass crock. Then you fill two dispensers: one with flour, one with water. On Auto mode, you tell the device when you plan to bake and how much starter your recipe requires. The Sidekick then uses local temperature data to dynamically schedule feedings, dispensing precise amounts of flour and water and mixing them at regular intervals. When your target date and time arrive, you'll have exactly the right amount of starter at its peak activity.
In testing, the Auto mode performed admirably with standard white bread flour. After setting a bake date a few days out, the starter emerged strong, active, and ready to use. The resulting loaf was well-risen and flavorful, with a good crumb structure. The Sidekick's mixing mechanism—a small paddle that stirs the starter every two hours for about 30 seconds—ensures even incorporation of flour and water. However, the stirring is notably noisy, which could be a concern for those in small apartments or open-plan living spaces.
The device works with most types of flour, but switching from white to whole wheat or rye requires recalibration. The setup process involves a few minutes of measuring and adjusting for density differences. In one test with a coarse-milled rye flour, the starter became too thick for the Sidekick to mix properly, resulting in dry clumps and uneven texture. To address this, you need to venture beyond the simple Auto mode.
The Sourdough Sidekick offers three modes: Auto, Ratio, and Custom. Auto mode is the most straightforward, but it has limitations. It only accepts an initial starter amount of exactly 15 grams, so you must weigh that carefully before each use. Additionally, if you set a bake date more than four days out, the device insists on producing at least 400 grams of starter, which is often more than needed for a single loaf. This leads to more discard (unused starter) than many bakers are comfortable with. There is no maintenance-only mode; you must always set a bake date within the next week. If you want to keep your starter alive without a specific baking goal, you can either set an arbitrary date (which generates discard) or remove the crock and refrigerate it.
Ratio mode allows you to choose from preset flour-to-water-to-starter ratios, but it only varies the proportion of starter relative to the total. It does not let you adjust the ratio between flour and water, so you cannot create a thinner or thicker starter—a feature needed for certain flours like the coarse rye. For that, you need Custom mode. This gives full control over the seed amount, feeding frequency, and exact quantities of flour and water per feed. Using Custom mode, you can create a looser starter suitable for rye, or even design a maintenance schedule with micro-feeds. FirstBuild provides instructions for using Custom mode to start a new starter from scratch or revive a failing one. However, unlike Auto mode, Custom and Ratio modes do not factor in ambient temperature, so you must monitor your starter's activity manually.
The Sourdough Sidekick also includes Wi-Fi connectivity and a companion app. The app can send notifications when your starter is ready or when discard needs removal, but the built-in screen on the device provides the same information. The app allows you to view current settings but not change them. Many users may find the app unnecessary, especially given that the device is designed to be set-and-forget.
Cleaning is a consideration. The glass crock, lid, and paddle must be hand-washed after every feeding cycle to prevent buildup of dried starter. The water tank and flour hopper are dishwasher-safe but require less frequent cleaning. The device's noise level, while not excessive, could be a persistent annoyance for some—a 30-second whir every two hours adds up to about six minutes of noise per day.
Who should consider the Sourdough Sidekick? It is best suited for passionate sourdough bakers who make at least one loaf per week, and ideally two or more. If you bake infrequently or have limited counter space, the device may feel like an unnecessary single-purpose appliance. The $180 price tag might be hard to justify for casual bakers. Additionally, the need for regular hand-washing of key parts and the noise factor should be weighed.
For those who bake frequently, the Sourdough Sidekick can be a genuine time-saver. It eliminates the daily ritual of discarding and feeding, and ensures consistent starter quality. The ability to schedule bake days in advance is convenient for planning. The Custom mode offers enough flexibility to handle non-standard flours or maintenance needs. However, the Auto mode's minimum starter output and lack of a maintenance-only mode are drawbacks.
FirstBuild and King Arthur Baking have created a niche gadget that addresses a specific pain point in sourdough baking. It is not a smart home device in the traditional sense, but rather a focused tool for a dedicated hobby. The collaboration leverages King Arthur's expertise in flour and baking, while FirstBuild brings engineering and product design experience. The crowdfunding origins suggest a product built with community feedback, though some design choices (like the noisy stirring and limited Auto mode options) may reflect compromises made to keep the device simple and affordable.
In the broader context of kitchen gadgets, the Sourdough Sidekick joins the ranks of single-purpose devices like bread machines, pasta makers, and ice cream makers. These appliances appeal to enthusiasts who value convenience over versatility. The Sourdough Sidekick fills a specific need for sourdough bakers who want to outsource starter maintenance. If you are willing to accept its quirks and bake often, it can be a worthwhile addition to your kitchen.
Source: The Verge News