FirstBuild, the cocreation community of GE Appliances, a Haier company, and King Arthur Baking Company have announced the launch and pre-sale availability of the Sourdough Sidekick. The Sourdough Sidekick automatically feeds and builds sourdough starter, freeing sourdough baking enthusiasts from the chore of starter maintenance. This partnership brings together two of America’s oldest companies to solve one of home baking’s most persistent and age-old challenges: maintaining a healthy, consistent sourdough starter, the foundation of amazing homemade sourdough bread.
“At GE Appliances and FirstBuild, open innovation is the key to unlocking consumer needs and transforming them into groundbreaking solutions,” says GE Appliances chief executive officer Kevin Nolan. “By listening to our customers and collaborating with enthusiasts, we are innovating the future of what’s next for the home.”
Sourdough baking is on the rise. According to King Arthur’s 2024 Bread Baking Survey, 60 percent of bread bakers now maintain an active starter. With its smart feeding system, the Sourdough Sidekick eliminates the chore of daily starter maintenance, the top frustration of sourdough bakers. The Sourdough Sidekick’s unique “Auto” mode enables bakers to tell it how much starter their recipe needs and when they need it, down to the day and hour. Fill the flour and water hoppers, add a seed amount, then the Sourdough Sidekick does the rest without requiring discard for up to seven days.
“The Sourdough Sidekick exemplifies what FirstBuild is all about — bringing together passionate communities to build innovative products that solve real needs faced by consumers,” says FirstBuild president André Zdanow. “By combining our hardware innovation expertise with King Arthur Baking Company's centuries of baking knowledge, we’ve created a solution that eliminates the demanding daily maintenance schedule while making sourdough more accessible even when life gets busy, and respecting the overall craft. This is cocreation at its finest — turning community feedback and needs into products that truly enhance people’s lives.”
Key features of the Sourdough Sidekick include:
- “Auto” mode that feeds and builds recipe-ready starter with minimal supervision and no discard required for up to seven days
- “Custom” mode for experienced bakers to conquer scheduling concerns while maintaining preferred feeding ratios and frequency
- Temperature sensing that adjusts feeding based on environment
- Designed for use with included, easy-to-clean King Arthur Baking Company-branded glass crock
“For over 230 years, King Arthur Baking has been at the heart of home baking, and sourdough is one of its most rewarding traditions,” says Karen Colberg, chief executive officer of King Arthur Baking Company. “We’ve helped generations of bakers master the art of maintaining a sourdough starter, and with the Sourdough Sidekick, we’re building on that expertise. This innovation makes sourdough more accessible — whether you’re a seasoned baker or just starting out. Our mission has always been to inspire the joy of baking and support bakers at every level, and we’re thrilled to partner with FirstBuild to offer a smart, simple way to care for a sourdough starter.”
The Sourdough Sidekick has officially launched on Indiegogo, with the product expected to begin shipping to backers in January 2026.
