Our bread expert tried the new sourdough sidekick

In our humble opinion here at Taste of Home, sourdough bread is always in style. Apart from the delightfully tangy taste, there’s something special about the smell of a freshly-baked sourdough loaf. In fact, the scent is so inviting that Bath & Body Works even made a candle that mimics it.

That said, crafting and maintaining the perfect sourdough starter is tricky. There are plenty of sourdough kits out there that assist with starter setup and loaf baking, but the real time-suck is upkeep. There’s a rigid cadence to feeding your starter, especially if you want it readily available for spontaneous baking. For a lot of folks, that complicated upkeep is what prevents them from trying out this tasty hobby.

Catherine Ward, Taste of Home’s Prep Kitchen Manager, is our resident sourdough expert. Even with a bounty of bread-making tools and years of experience, she still occasionally struggles with remembering to feed her starter on time. That’s where the Sourdough Sidekick comes in. Not only does this countertop appliance claim to flawlessly maintain your starter, but it also comes with many other useful features to streamline the sourdough-making process.

We Tried It

King Arthur Sourdough Sidekick

New to sourdough, or always forgetting to feed your starter? The Sourdough Sidekick manages your starter for you, meaning more time baking and less time measuring.

$179.95 at King Arthur Baking

What is the Sourdough Sidekick?

King Arthur Baking Company’s Sourdough Sidekick is a clever machine that automatically feeds your sourdough starter. Think of it like a helpful extra hand that does the chore of starter maintenance for you, so you can focus on other, less demanding kitchen tasks. While not everyone needs a sourdough sous chef, this is a neat little machine that saves serious time for folks who regularly bake. It’s also a fantastic option for newbies who find starter upkeep a bit confusing.

How We Tested It

Catherine received her Sourdough Sidekick and immediately moved her current starter into the crock. According to her, setup is incredibly simple thanks to the easy-to-follow instructions. A crock slides right into the base and clicks when it’s in place—this is where the sourdough starter lives.

The crock comes with a metal lid for storing the fed starter in the fridge, which is a thoughtful addition for folks who travel. The water and flour chambers are also easily accessible and similarly simple to set up. Lastly, a built-in paddle attachment stirs the sourdough automatically after each feed.

Catherine notes that overall, the Sourdough Sidekick is a sturdy, well-made machine. The components are lightweight but don’t feel cheap by any means. Plus, there are no bulky or heavy parts to make it difficult to move around or wash.

Bonus: The paddle does a great job scraping the sides and bottom of the crock when it feeds, so the jar never looks messy. Catherine finds that she doesn’t have to clean out the jar nearly as often as she normally would when feeding her starter, saving her even more time.

Feeding Modes

One of the benefits of the Sourdough Sidekick is its flexibility. There are several programmed feeding modes that allow for almost any other kind of feeding routine, including micro feeding. The modes include:

• Auto: Perfect for beginners, Auto Mode is the most hands off option because there’s no discard required.
• Ratio: Ratio mode will feed 1:1:1, 1:2:2, 1:3:3, 1:5:5 or 2:1:1. These varied amounts of starter, flour and water are incredibly useful, especially if you have neglected your starter for a while and it needs a quick boost of nutrients.
• Custom Mode: Custom mode gives you ultimate control and flexibility. It’s perfect for those using the exact same amount of starter each day or week. Catherine recommends setting the amount of flour and water the day you want it ready so you can easily remove the precise amount you need.

“I have run through the programming for Ratio and Custom modes and they are equally easy to set up. But the Auto mode works perfect for my purposes so that’s all I have used. Personally, I have always just given an extra 1:1:1 feed before baking day, but I love the flexibility here if I need it,” says Catherine. “Since using the Sourdough Sidekick, my starter never gets neglected.”

As recommended in the setup guide, Catherine programmed the Sidekick to produce a little more starter than required so she always has some in reserve for her next loaf.

Benefits

“The greatest benefit is the reduction in waste. I have discarded (thrown away) so much starter over the years,” explains Catherine. “The micro feeding is programmed to do just that—feed small amounts of starter while it’s building up to the quantity needed for baking day.”

But the best part of using a Sourdough Sidekick? The resulting starter is close to perfection and makes beautiful loaves.

“The fed starter looked active and bubbly,” raves Catherine. “It was light and loose, just the way it would look if I had fed by hand. And the aroma was lovely and yeasty, just as I would expect.”

Pros

• Saves tons of time in the kitchen
• Easy and intuitive to set up
• Runs automatically once programmed
• Three different programmable modes
• Reduces waste thanks to micro feeding
• Comes with an in-depth, helpful manual

Cons

• Pricey
• Requires some experimentation to find your perfect settings

Final Verdict

Thanks to the Sourdough Sidekick, Catherine notes that she now always has starter fed and ready when she’s ready to bake—no more pre-planning required. Gone are the days of dragging the starter out of the fridge, getting it up to temperature, feeding it, and waiting hours for it to become active. Plus, the different settings are perfect for tailoring a routine that works for your schedule. There’s zero fussing or measuring required.

In fact, Catherine sums up her experience in one question: “How did I live without this?!”

For both frequent bread bakers and those who struggle to commit to a strict sourdough schedule, this device simplifies the entire experience from start to finish. In Catherine’s opinion, it is well worth the upfront cost for flavor enthusiasts.

Where to Buy

We Tried It

King Arthur Sourdough Sidekick

For folks who find sourdough confusing, the Sourdough Sidekick is a solid investment.

$179.95 at King Arthur Baking

Bakers looking to simplify their routine can snag the Sourdough Sidekick right on King Arthur’s website for around $180. While it’s an investment, the peace of mind it gives you when maintaining notoriously finicky starter is unmatched. For frequent bakers, the freedom to enjoy delicious, developed flavors without the constant time commitment makes this machine well worth the price.

Why You Should Trust Us

Prep Kitchen Manager Catherine Ward has 20 years of professional experience in the food industry, having worked in restaurants, catering and test kitchens. She’s also taught local cooking classes, explaining how to make everything from focaccia to paella. At Taste of Home, Catherine is our prep kitchen manager. She puts kitchen appliances through their paces to share the best of the best with readers. She’s also our resident sourdough expert, with years of experience making Dutch oven bread and reviewing top-tier bread-making tools.