TIME's Best Inventions List Includes Three Baking Helpers

TIME magazine has released its list of the best inventions of 2026, and several of them are made for people who bake at home. According to Delish, three products stand out.

The first is the Sourdough Sidekick. Sourdough bread gets its tangy taste from a starter, a mix of flour and water that holds live yeast and helpful bacteria. A starter needs regular feeding to stay alive, which can be a chore. The Sourdough Sidekick is a small countertop machine made by King Arthur Baking Company with a company called FirstBuild. It has a water tank, a flour container and a mixing paddle, and it can handle the feeding for up to a week. A digital screen and a phone app let bakers adjust the settings or pick a ready-made mode. The machine came out in June, and home bakers have called it "revolutionary" and "a dream come true." It sells for $179.95 at King Arthur Baking.

The second is Leaven Instant Sourdough, for people who want sourdough without keeping a starter. Most store-bought yeast makes dough rise, but it does not add much flavor. Leaven's powder gives a similar rise and also contains the same live cultures found in a real sourdough starter. Its makers used DNA sequencing to find the exact microbes in a starter and then made them into a powder that can be stored on a shelf, with no feeding needed. One pouch is enough for up to eight recipes. It is not an exact swap for regular yeast, so Leaven provides a guide with conversion charts and beginner recipes. A three-pack costs $19.99.

The third is Dough Dissolve, a cleaning gel for sticky bowls. Most dish soap fights grease and fat. Dough Dissolve uses an enzyme called amylase, which targets starches. Pump a little on the dirty dishes, let them soak for about 10 minutes, and the stuck-on dough should come off with little or no scrubbing. A bottle costs $23.39.