Baking sourdough bread may seem pointedly old-fashioned, but that doesnt mean its immune to the allure of a novelty gadget. Thats where the Sourdough Sidekick comes in: a new countertop appliance that automatically feeds your sourdough starter so its ready to bake the moment you need it.The Sidekick is a joint project by FirstBuild the GE Appliances innovation hub responsible for the viral Opal ice maker and King Arthur Baking Company. Currently raising funds on Indiegogo, and well past its initial funding goal, the Sidekick is essentially an automated flour and water dispenser that can help keep your starter alive when you dont have time, and take the guesswork out of the timing to feed it to make sure its active enough to bake with.Theres a little more to it than that though. You can plug in the date and time of the next time you plan to bake to the hour and the Sidekicks Auto mode will feed the starter appropriately to make sure its at a peak of activity right when you need it, even factoring in the temperature of your kitchen. It uses a microfeeding schedule which only generates discard once every seven days, so it should reduce waste too. If youre a more advanced baker with your own specific feeding schedules and flour-to-water ratios, you can load those into the Custom mode. Youve also always got the option to add extra flour and water on the fly.The Sidekick is available to back on Indiegogo for $129, or as a pair for $249. For the moment it only ships to the US, but delivery isnt estimated until January 2026 its still in a prototype stage, with production models not yet finalized. If you want something a little simpler thats available now, the $50 Breadwinner measures your starters volume so you know when it needs feeding and when its ready to bake.See More: