King Arthur Baking Company, FirstBuild collaborate to unveil innovative equipment
The partnership combines the expertise of two of America’s oldest companies to address a longstanding challenge in home baking: maintaining a healthy, consistent sourdough starter, which is essential for producing amazing homemade sourdough bread.
USA – FirstBuild, the co-creation community of GE Appliances, a Haier company, and King Arthur Baking Company, have announced the launch and pre-sale availability of the Sourdough Sidekick.
This innovative device automatically feeds and builds sourdough starter, relieving sourdough baking enthusiasts from the hassle of starter maintenance.
Key features of the Sourdough Sidekick include:
– “Auto” mode that feeds and builds recipe-ready starters with minimal supervision, requiring no discard for up to seven days.
– “Custom” mode for experienced bakers to manage scheduling concerns while maintaining preferred feeding ratios and frequency.
– Temperature sensing that adjusts feeding based on environmental conditions.
– Designed for use with an included, easy-to-clean glass crock branded by King Arthur Baking Company.
“At GE Appliances and FirstBuild, open innovation is key to understanding consumer needs and transforming them into groundbreaking solutions. By listening to our customers and collaborating with enthusiasts, we are shaping the future of home baking,” said Kevin Nolan, CEO of GE Appliances.
The popularity of sourdough baking is on the rise. According to King Arthur’s 2024 Bread Baking Survey, 60% of bread bakers currently maintain an active starter.
With its innovative feeding system, the Sourdough Sidekick removes the daily maintenance burden, which is the top frustration for many sourdough bakers.
The device features a unique “Auto” mode that allows bakers to specify the amount of starter their recipe requires and when they need it, down to the day and hour.
Users simply fill the flour and water hoppers, add the specified seeds, and the Sourdough Sidekick takes over, handling everything for up to seven days without requiring discard.
“The Sourdough Sidekick embodies the mission of FirstBuild — to unite passionate communities to create innovative products that meet real consumer needs. By merging our hardware innovation expertise with King Arthur Baking Company’s centuries of baking knowledge, we’ve developed a solution that alleviates the daily maintenance demands while making sourdough baking more accessible, even during busy times, all while respecting the overall craft. This represents co-creation at its finest — transforming community feedback and needs into products that truly enhance people’s lives,” stated André Zdanow, president of FirstBuild.
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