Artisanal sourdough innovations and trends that spark online buzz

In the second quarter of 2025, online conversations and searches on sour-doughnuts went up 172% according to our Taste Tomorrow trend tracking data. The biggest trend? Stuffed donuts. Kansas City-based Slow Rise has built its entire concept around filled sourdough donuts, offering inventive flavors like pandan coconut, strawberry rhubarb, peaches & cream, caramel corn, and blueberry lavender coconut. These creative twists showcase how sourdough is pushing beyond traditional loaves and baguettes into indulgent, Instagram-worthy formats that capture consumer attention.

Other bakeries are putting their own spin on the trend by launching sourdough bomboloni, which is the Italian version of a stuffed donut. In Singapore, the Fat Kid Bakery playfully brands their creations ‘bombos’ (short for bomboloni). Almost half of their sourdough based creations are savory, think of roasted garlic mascarpone, spicy egg mayo and sour cream and onion. We expect the savory sourdough donut trend to keep growing, as more bakeries experiment with hearty, meal-inspired fillings. This approach enables even artisanal businesses to tap into the fast-growing worlds of snacking and foodservice, opening doors to new customer segments. Beyond delighting existing fans, it helps bakeries attract fresh foot traffic and diversify their income streams with innovative, on-the-go offerings.

Superstar Taylor Swift confessed her sourdough hobby has “taken over my life” and that she talks about baking “60% of the time” in the podcast New Heights. Taylor Swift’s favorite sourdough creations are blueberry lemon, cinnamon swirl, and funfetti sourdough.

 Swift is incredibly on-trend with her sourdough bakes. Flavored sourdough loaves are dominating online, with blueberry lemon emerging as the clear favorite. Google Trends data reveals that this sourdough flavor exploded early in 2025, but there’s a clear spike in the week of 10 to 16 August, right when Swift’s podcast episode aired. This crossover between pop culture and food trends shows how powerful celebrity influence can be in accelerating sourdough’s popularity.

For professional bakers, experimenting with new sourdough flavors can be a smart way to stand out. Our global Taste Tomorrow consumer survey pointed out that 20% of consumers are willing to pay more for bakery creations with innovative flavors. One strategy is to tap into big online hypes with crowd-pleasing ideas like cinnamon sugar chocolate chip sourdough loaf or jalapeno cheddar sourdough loaf. Another is to develop your own signature flavors, such as matcha, cranberry & walnut or pistachio, chocolate & strawberry. These unique twists not only capture consumer attention but also position bakeries as trendsetters in an increasingly competitive market.

From flowers and butterflies to bows, shells and even mermaid tails, bakers are turning sourdough into edible art. The Sourdough Mama is one of the creators that are making waves with her eye-catching sourdough loaf designs. Using a mix of colors, scoring, stencils, and even string, she transforms dough into imaginative creations that captivate online audiences.

Of course, her intricate methods are far too time-consuming for bakeries producing hundreds or thousands of loaves a day. But adding a touch of artistry doesn’t have to be complex. Basic scoring patterns or simple stencil designs with flour or poppy seeds can elevate a loaf’s appearance with minimal effort. The result? Maximum visual impact that delights customers and makes products more shareable on social media.

When it comes to stuffed loaves of sourdough bread, chef Khanh Nguyen takes the cake. He captivates his 110K Instagram followers by preparing crab, chicken biryani, beef wellington or a full English breakfast inside a loaf of sourdough bread. Right now, stuffed sourdough loaves are stealing the spotlight — a trend that fuses timeless breadmaking with modern creativity. Nguyen experiments with sourdough bread in lieu of a traditional french ‘en croute’ preparation, but others opt for more traditional stuffings. We’ve spotted cheese-stuffed flatbreads and lots of filled bagel rolls – sometimes called bagel bombs – with cream cheese-based fillings.

Meanwhile, Gulf Coast Sourdough has developed its own twist with ‘flybys’: sourdough buns stuffed with combinations such as falafel, hummus and sauerkraut, or bacon, eggs and cheese. These creations double as hearty lunch sandwiches, with the bonus that the fillings infuse flavor into the dough during baking. The result? Convenient, on-the-go snacks that are both satisfying and full of character.

What are the sourdough innovations that are taking over on supermarket shelves and large QSR chains?