{
  "id": 19153251,
  "title": "King Arthur Baking Sourdough Sidekick Review: Rising to the Occasion",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/king-arthur-baking-sourdough-sidekick-review-rising-to-the-occasion",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-11-09T12:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Wired",
    "slug": "wired",
    "url": "https://www.wired.com/review/king-arthur-baking-sourdough-sidekick/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Sourdough Sidekick, a creation of King Arthur Baking Company and GE Appliances, aims to ease the burden of maintaining sourdough starters for those like me, who find the task daunting due to its time and effort requirements. The device, sized like a Mr. Coffee machine, includes a water reservoir, flour hopper, and glass crock with a stirring paddle lid. I, a full-time working parent, had not baked sourdough in over a year but the Sidekick helped reignite my passion for bread baking.\n\nUpon setting up the Sidekick, I filled the reservoir and hopper, adjusted the start and end times, added some existing starter, and hit \"Auto Mode.\" The Sidekick mixed the flour into my seed starter, creating an under-hydrated ball that gradually became a larger, drier ball. After adding water manually, I noticed the reservoir remained full, which raised a question. I opted not to use the app but instead relied on the included Quick Start Guide to fill the device properly. The process, though lengthy and fiddly, worked well once I calibrated the water and flour amounts using a scale. My next attempt with starter in the fridge resulted in perfect dispensing of water and flour daily, with a stirring cycle every two hours.\n\nWhile the Sidekick may not yield starters as puffy or bubbly as traditionally desired, it reliably mixes and incorporates the ingredients. The app displays settings and sends notifications, but doesn't allow control of the device. For those who like to experiment with different flour types and feeding schedules, the Sidekick offers Ratio Mode and Custom Mode. The device maintains the starter's ambient temperature, though it doesn't allow adjustments. In fact, it offers \"temperature-aware\" feedings, adjusting the amounts based on the room temperature. Alongside this, firmware updates can be initiated when needed, ensuring the device remains functional.",
  "summary": "This techy automatic starter feeder has some quirks, but it ended my yearlong sourdough slump.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}