A year ago (3/2025) I discovered a machine that was still in the development phase looking for backers. I was sucked in and have been impatiently waiting for it to arrive. Well…it arrived on Sunday! It is called Sourdough Sidekick. Essentially, it is a machine that will feed and maintain your starter for you. There are three modes, Auto, Ratio, and Custom.
Auto: Perfect for beginners. Simply tell it when you want your starter ready and how much you need. It handles the feedings using a feeding method that keeps your starter active without the usual daily discard — for up to a week. All you have to do is bake!
Ratio: For bakers who have a favorite ratio. Set your ratio and feeding frequency, and the Sidekick handles the rest, with alerts when it’s time to use or discard.
Custom: Great for experimentation or fine-tuning hydration. Dial in your seed and feed amounts for greater accuracy and control.
I got my Sidekick set up and started with auto mode. I programed it to have 525g of starter ready to go by Friday at 11am. I filled the water and flour reservoirs and added 15g of my starter from the fridge. The machine does the rest. It feeds my starter in increments and mixes the contents every hour or so. There is the ability to mix it as often as you need just by pressing a button. You can also add more flour or water if the starter looks dry or runny. So far I love it. We will see if it actually produces 525g by Friday at 11am. This could be a complete game changer for me!
Addendum: The sourdough sidekick is in fact AMAZING! It produced a wonderful, healthy starter by Friday at 11. Just like it said it would.
On a separate note, I have yet again, found a new sourdough bagel and sourdough cinnamon roll recipe I want to try. These recipes both call for a levain which I think will only help to keep my products softer and tender longer. The cinnamon roll recipe also call for a tangzhong. I utilize this method with my sandwich loaves every week, so I am familiar with this approach. Always on the quest to improve.
These lemon sugar cookies were a hit. I am a sucker for citrus and these were perfect. Easy to make and nice and light.
