Two historic American companies partner to innovate the process behind one of the world's most beloved foods
LOUISVILLE, KY, March 25, 2025 (EZ Newswire) -- FirstBuild, the cocreation community of GE Appliances, a Haier company, and King Arthur Baking Company, America's most trusted baking company, today 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,” said GE Appliances CEO Kevin Nolan. “By listening to our customers and collaborating with enthusiasts, we are innovating the future of what’s next for the home."
Sourdough is on the rise
Sourdough baking is surging—60% of bread bakers now maintain an active starter, according to King Arthur’s 2024 Bread Baking Survey. In the past year alone, King Arthur’s sourdough content drew 18.4 million views, with its Sourdough Starter recipe leading the way with 1.3 million views—the most popular recipe of the year. King Arthur’s Fresh Sourdough Starter is also its top-selling direct-to-consumer item, highlighting how many bakers are beginning their sourdough journey. As more bakers embrace naturally leavened bread, sourdough inquiries continue to flood King Arthur’s Baker’s Hotline—proof that while enthusiasm is high, so are the questions around starter care.
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.
Launched in 2014 as an experiment to see if product innovation could happen faster in the open than behind closed doors, FirstBuild has helped renew the pace of innovation for GE Appliances. FirstBuild has been behind significant commercial successes like the viral Opal Nugget Ice Maker—now the bestselling small appliance for GE Appliances and primary driver for GE Appliances’ re-entry into the small appliances category in 2020 to the revolutionary GE Profile™ Smart Indoor Smoker.
"The Sourdough Sidekick exemplifies what FirstBuild is all about—bringing together passionate communities to build innovative products that solve real needs faced by consumers," said 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."
King Arthur Baking Company, founded in 1790, brings over two centuries of baking expertise to the collaboration.
“For over 230 years, King Arthur Baking has been at the heart of home baking, and sourdough is one of its most rewarding traditions,” said Karen Colberg, CEO 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.”
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
The Sourdough Sidekick launches today on Indiegogo, with the product expected to begin shipping to backers in January 2026. To learn more and pre-order the Sourdough Sidekick, visit: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/sourdough-sidekick
About FirstBuild
FirstBuild invents what's next for the home. Rapidly taking product concepts from mind to market, FirstBuild's global cocreation mission enables anyone to submit appliance product ideas or contribute to the ideas of others and participate in its hands-on process with its in-house team of world-class engineers and design experts. FirstBuild strives to launch a dozen new products or features each year, with the ultimate goal of launching them at scale—often with their parent company, GE Appliances, a Haier company. Whatever you're passionate about, come make it here. For more information on how to get involved, visit FirstBuild.com.
About GE Appliances, a Haier company
At GE Appliances, a Haier company, we come together to make good things, for life. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, we are a leading U.S. manufacturer of home appliances with 15,500 team members nationwide. GE Appliances, found in half of all U.S. homes, is proud to be rated America’s #1 Appliance Company (1), trusted by millions of families nationwide. We manufacture and sell products under the Monogram™, Café™, GE Profile™, GE®, Haier™, and Hotpoint™ brands. Our operations support nearly 90,000 additional American jobs and represent an investment of more than $2 billion since 2016. We are deeply committed to the communities where we live and work, passionate about getting closer to our product users to understand their needs and driven by the belief that there’s always a better way.
To learn more about our company, brands, career opportunities, and impact, visit geappliancesco.com or connect with us on LinkedIn.
(1) OpenBrand Consumer Tracking Survey, Q1–Q4 2024, Based on Volume of Total Majors/MO/RAC – Retail Units
About King Arthur Baking Company
King Arthur Baking Company has been sharing the joy of baking since 1790. A certified B Corp and 100% employee-owned, King Arthur Baking is the ultimate baking resource, providing the highest quality ingredients for the most delicious baked goods while inspiring connections and community through baking. King Arthur’s superior flours and mixes are available in supermarkets nationwide. Visit KingArthurBaking.com for more specialty baking items, mixes, gluten-free products, recipes, and more. Follow King Arthur Baking Company on Facebook and Instagram.
King Arthur Baking Company has been sharing the joy of baking since 1790. A certified B Corp and 100% employee-owned, King Arthur Baking is the ultimate baking resource, providing the highest quality ingredients for the most delicious baked goods while inspiring connections and community through baking. King Arthur’s superior flours and mixes are available in supermarkets nationwide. Visit KingArthurBaking.com for more specialty baking items, mixes, gluten-free products, recipes, and more. Follow King Arthur Baking Company on Facebook and Instagram.
Media Contact
Kirsten Underwood
kirsten@drdnght.com
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