Food subscription boxes have always interested me, but when I heard about a company that could deliver sourdough bread right to my door, I was so intrigued.
As a registered dietitian, I love to see the sourdough bread trend going strong because sourdough offers some awesome health benefits!
In this Wildgrain box review (which is not sponsored by the brand), I’ll share everything I’ve learned about Wildgrain as a paying customer for almost four years now, including cost, quality, how it works, and baking tips.
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Wildgrain Review Process
In the summer of 2021, Wildgrain reached out to me and my dietitian teammates here at The Real Food Dietitians asking if we’d each like to receive a box of their frozen sourdough breads and other artisanal baked goods. Since we always test products and services before sharing them with you, I agreed to give it a good test run.
Everyone on the team baked, tasted, and experienced the items in those first sample boxes. It wasn’t long after that when I signed up to be a paying member of Wildgrain. Now I get (and pay for) a box that arrives about once every 4-8 weeks, and both Jessica and Stacie do the same.
The Pros and Cons
I compiled my experiences with the Wildgrain subscription box into a quick glance of pros and cons. Overall, it’s been a great experience, and Jessica, Stacie, and I all plan to continue using it.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| High-quality delicious sourdough and other bakery goods made from clean ingredients | Costs more than making homemade sourdough, but you get quality baked goods delivered right to your door |
| Bake just what you need — one loaf, or even just one cookie — at a time | Products are fresh and without preservatives. After baking, they should be eaten within a day or two |
| I love that it’s so easy. The loaves arrive frozen and bake in just 20 minutes | |
| I can pause or stop the delivery service any time, and I can edit what’s in my box for each delivery | |
| All of Wildgrain’s high-quality ingredients are non-GMO | |
| Using Wildgrain makes me feel good about spending my food dollars — the products are made in small bakeries around the country, rather than corporate food production companies, and they donate meals to a Boston food bank for each new member who signs up | |
| Gluten-free and vegan boxes are available. And all gluten-free products are produced in a dedicated gluten-free facility |
More pros: New members get free croissants in every box, plus $30 off their first Wildgrain box when using discount code REALFOOD30. And shipping is always free.
Taste and Quality
I’m not exaggerating when I say that Wildgrain products are SO delicious. While I have my favorites, I actually really enjoy everything I’ve tasted from Wildgrain. As I bake my way through my monthly box of frozen loaves, I consistently get high-quality bread that has the crusty exterior, warm tender interior, and perfectly tangy sourdough flavor.
It’s the kind of bread that is so good that it makes you pause and be present in the sensory moment. You really can’t beat the experience of pulling a warm freshly baked loaf of sourdough out of your oven, especially when all you had to do was pull it out of the freezer.
I’d say the bread is on par with homemade sourdough bread that I’ve made myself and tasted from other friend bakers. And it’s definitely superior to the sourdough bread loaves I’ve picked up from the grocery store.
Cost and Value
In every box, you get to select either 6 items (that’s the size I get) or 12 items, which is great for bigger families. Then, depending on your box type, you can select from a variety of high-quality parbaked bread loaves, rolls, muffins, pasta, pastries, and artisan bakery desserts. You can customize your box every month or just take the monthly items that Wildgrain selects for you.
Every month, there are seasonal offerings and new artisanal pastries, such as pecan pumpkin cinnamon rolls (only available in the fall) and strawberry rhubarb turnovers (only available in the summer).
The products arrive frozen in a cardboard box with a soft liner, cardboard dividers, and dry ice. Store everything in your freezer and bake them whenever you want to.
No matter which box you select from the choices below, you get free croissants in every box for the lifetime of your membership
- For plant-based boxes, you’ll receive vegan croissants
- For gluten-free boxes, you’ll receive gluten-free chocolate chip cookies
Variety Box
- select from a large variety of loaves of sourdough bread and slow-fermented breads and rolls, hand-cut fresh pastas like fettuccine and tonnarelli, and pastries like chocolate chunk cookies, Belgian waffles, and Parmesan herb biscuits
- add on seasonal items, such as pie bites, brioche rolls, and brownies
- $13.25 – $16.50 per item, depending on box size
Italian Box
- build your box from popular loaves, handmade pastas, marinara sauce, and slow-churned butter
- add on seasonal items, such as macaroons, chocolate croissants, and lava cakes
- price per item is $13.25 – $14.80, depending on box size
Plant-Based Breads
- select from several choices of vegan sourdough breads and rolls, olive oil ciabatta, baguettes, and slow-fermented breads, croissants and plant-based desserts
- only get presented with vegan options
- has filters to include/exclude products with honey
- box type includes free vegan croissants instead of free standard croissants
- price per item is $13.25 – $16.50, depending on box size
Gluten-Free Bread
- select from gluten-free seeded sourdough bread, brioche rolls, pasta, and pastries
- items are produced in a dedicated gluten-free facility
- box type includes free gluten-free chocolate chip cookies instead of free croissants
- price per item is $15.75 – $18, depending on box size
Who Should Try a Wildgrain Box
Being members of WIldgrain has been such a great experience for the dietitians on our team. Even though I make our own bread from time to time, I find that I can’t beat the convenience of having ready-to-bake high quality breads and more right in my freezer.
I think Wildgrain is a good option for:
- Anyone who loves having warm fresh-baked bread at meals or special occasions
- People who love the flavor of sourdough bread
- Busy adults and parents who appreciate a shortcut in the kitchen
- People who entertain or attend occasional potlucks and dinner parties
- People looking for gluten-free bread, pasta and pastry made in a dedicated gluten-free facility
Who Wildgrain is NOT a good option for:
- People who enjoy only making their bread from scratch
- Households on a tight food budget
My Favorite Products
Personally, I love the Slow-Fermented Olive Oil Ciabatta Bread (it feeds my family of five for several meals), the Sourdough Sesame Seed Loaf, and the Plain Sourdough Loaf (which tastes like it was made right at home, crispy on the outside and tender chewy on the inside).
“I needed to bring something to a holiday potluck but was running short on time. I baked two loaves of Wildgrain bread and made a quick batch of our Honey Butter. Everyone raved about it and asked if I spent hours in the kitchen making homemade bread. I was almost embarrassed to say that all I did was pull it out of the freezer and bake it for 25 minutes!” – Jessie, RD
Dietitian Stacie’s favorites are the Cranberry Pecan Sourdough Loaf (so good with our chicken salads), Parmesan Herb Biscuits, and the Pie Bites, which she says are the perfect handheld pie to serve to guests.
“My husband and I had friends over for a last minute dinner get together and didn’t have a lot of time to prepare a meal and we were limited by what we had on hand. Thankfully I had some Wildgrain in my freezer. The Parmesan Herb Biscuits stole the show! It didn’t even matter what else was served. Everyone LOVED the biscuits.” – Stacie, RD
Dietitian Jessica loves the Rosemary-Garlic Sourdough Loaf, the 3-Cheese Sourdough for making sandwiches, and the Sourdough Rolls (she likes to bake just one at a time to add to lunches).
“For my daughter’s 13th birthday slumber party, my husband was in charge of dinner and forgot to buy garlic bread. Wildgrain saved the day! I pulled out a loaf of sourdough, baked it, then sliced it while still warm and spread each piece with butter, garlic powder, and salt.” – Jessica, RD
Best Baking and Serving Tips
- I find that it’s helpful to allow the baked loaves, rolls, croissants, and English muffins to sit on a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before I slice into them.
- I bake the croissants a little longer than the package directions — until they are just a bit dark on the bottoms and tops. This way, they tend to be flakier and hold up better after being cooled and sliced, especially if I’m using them to make breakfast sandwiches.
- For the Chocolate Chip Cookies, I typically bake them 1-2 minutes longer than the package says. I love that I can just pull out a few (or even just one!) of the frozen cookie dough “pucks” to bake and serve warm. I don’t have to bake them all at once — just the portion that I need.
- Stacie likes to make a simple glaze to drizzle over the Pie Bites.
Benefits of Artisanal and Sourdough Breads
Bread often gets a bad rap, but bread can be incredibly good for you, especially bread made from clean ingredients. Bread contains energizing carbs, which people need to support our bodily functions, including brain fuel and physical activity.
I am especially a fan of sourdough bread because of its unique health benefits created through the process of fermentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Wildgrain products can be stored in the freezer for up to 12 months. Mine usually don’t last that long, but I’ve baked a loaf after storing it for 8 months and it tasted fresh and good.
The products are not USDA Organic certified, however, many of them are made with organic ingredients and they use all non-GMO ingredients. The Wildgrain website’s FAQ explains that Wildgrain tries to use organic ingredients as much as possible, but not all of its ingredients are organic. Because of specific recipes and supply chain issues, they sometimes can’t rely on organic ingredient sources. If an ingredient is organic, it will be listed as such in the ingredients list. You can see the ingredient lists by product on their Nutrition Page.
Wildgrain is unique among meal delivery services because it focuses on artisan breads and other baked goods. This bread subscription service is similar to other food subscription deliveries in that you have flexibility over your delivery schedule, you can customize what’s in each box, and you can pause or cancel any time.
Yes, you can pause, delay, or cancel your subscription at any time.
Parbaking means that something has been partially baked and then frozen. Wildgrain uses this baking technique, so the hard part has been taken care of (i.e. getting the product to properly rise) by their skilled bakers. Then, you get to finish baking the product in your home oven. As a result, you can enjoy the delicious smell and taste of freshly baked (not just reheated) bread and pastries at home.
No, they’re not. In order to get the highest quality baked goods to you, Wildgrain has partner bakeries across the United States. Each bakery sources ingredients that are local to them. For example, many of Wildgrain’s partner bakers on the east coast source their flour from King Arthur Baking Company, which is headquartered in Vermont.
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Are all of the products from Wildgrain, including pastries and cookies, made from a sourdough base?
That is correct!
How do you cancel if you no longer eat bread
Hi Debbie! You can contact wildgrain to cancel your order at anytime.
how many carbs per slice of bread?
Hi Sue, every product is different, and since these are whole loaves of bread, the amount of carbs will depend on how big and thick you cut a slice.
Can the boxes be tailored to family size? There is just my husband and myself. I’m afraid there will be too many items for just us.
Hi Jane, you can get either 6 items or 12 items per box, and you can delay shipments or even plan them out for every 2 or 3 months.
Hi Jessie,
You’ve just about convinced me to try Wildgrains but I do have a few questions. It is difficult to determine the size/weight of the items, especially the breads. Are they each a pound loaf? Approximately how many people will a loaf serve? Thanks for your help!
Hi Marianne, most of the loaves I’ve received are about 1 1/2 pounds (5 x 10 inches) and the round boules are about 7 inches in diameter. There are a few loaf styles (like the olive oil ciabatta) that are longer and skinner, like a half baguette. A single loaf typically serves my family of 5 (2 adults, 3 little kids) for 2 meals – I serve it fresh baked as a side for one meal, then the rest of the loaf gets used for avocado toast the next morning.