Summary: As someone who loves delicious baked goods but is busy and doesn’t get out of the house as much in the winter, Wildgrain is the perfectly convenient and tasty solution to having homemade artisanal bakery goods in the house all the time. The subscription box offers pastries, breads, pastas, and more with high-quality ingredients that are easy to make and taste great.
Pros:
- I found it super easy and quick to make all of the different items, from bread to biscuits. Plus, they all took less than a half hour to bake.
- The sourdough is slow-fermented and high in fiber and antioxidants, which makes eating it easy on my gut.
- A small team of dedicated bakeries makes all of the products, so I know they were made with care by experts — and I’m happy knowing I’m supporting small businesses, too.
- The delivery process was quick and easy, and I was able to unpack and fit all of the items in my freezer in less than ten minutes.
Cons:
- I had a bit of trouble getting the pasta to separate and not stick together, but it still tasted delicious.
- At $89–$109 per month for a membership, it’s a bit pricier, but you’re getting lots of products made with high-quality ingredients from people who care. Note: You do get $30 off your first box, and free croissants in every box! That definitely sweetens the deal.
I love baked goods — bread, pastries, biscuits, scones — and to find really good ones is such a special treat. A good bakery is one of my favorite things to look for when I’m traveling or visiting another city, and I love trying out different baked goods in my home city. Sometimes, though, I just want to get all of the goods without having to leave my house — like during the cold winter months here in Wisconsin.
If you’ve ever contemplated going out in an ice storm for a pastry, Wildgrain is for you. The brand brings the café/bakery experience right to your doorstep, so you no longer need to brave the elements when the craving for comforting treats is as intense as the weather outside.
About Wildgrain
Wildgrain is the first bake-from-frozen subscription box for baked goods. From frozen sourdough breads to Bavarian pretzels to handmade pasta, Wildgrain partners with small bakers and pasta makers to create their baked goods and artisanal pastries, all made from clean ingredients. They pack and ship the baked goods directly to you in an eco-friendly and insulated box, and then you put them in your freezer and pull it out when you want to eat it. Everything bakes in 25 minutes or less, so you can have fresh baked goods in under a half hour without even having to leave your house.
“From frozen sourdough breads to Bavarian pretzels to handmade pasta, Wildgrain partners with small bakers and pasta makers to create their baked goods and artisanal pastries, all made from clean ingredients.”
The boxes are fully customizable with lots of options, from staples like sourdough bread to seasonal and limited-time options to change it up. They also offer options for fully plant-based boxes and fully gluten-free boxes. You choose.
Wildgrain works with the best small bakeries in the country, sourcing locally and responsibly, and they use slow-fermentation methods that are easier on your stomach, richer in antioxidants, and can even help lower blood sugar spikes. The company is a small team based in Boston, Massachusetts who’s passionate about creating the best baked goods from scratch. And they give back too, for every membership, they donate four meals to The Greater Boston Food Bank.
Receiving my shipment and first impressions
I couldn’t believe how quickly and efficiently my Wildgrain box shipped. Within just a couple days, I was getting a notification that the box would be delivered, and the email included the UPS tracking information so I’d know exactly when it’d arrive. My order was delivered right to my front door, packed in a box that wasn’t too heavy or big to carry up to my second-floor apartment by myself.
“My order was delivered right to my front door, packed in a box that wasn’t too heavy or big to carry up to my second-floor apartment by myself.”
The items were frozen, packed in dry ice (be careful — dry ice can cause frostbite if handled with bare hands!) and an insulating layer. Wildgrain calculates the amount of dry ice needed based on where you live, so my box didn’t have any dry ice left, but the items were still perfectly frozen.
I have a pretty small freezer, and yet there was plenty of room for all the items to fit in the freezer without having to clean it out too much. It was super fun to unpack and see all of the delicious goodies that I’d be eating over the next couple weeks.
In my box, there were croissants, a sourdough loaf, sourdough demi baguettes, parmesan herb biscuits, giant chocolate chip cookies, tonnarelli pasta, and churned French butter. I couldn’t wait to dig in!
Here’s what I got in my Wildgrain box:
Giant Chocolate Chunk Cookies (6-pack)
The day our Wildgrain box arrived, my fiancé wanted to make the chocolate chip cookies immediately. I was barely done unboxing everything as he started preheating the oven. We have a really small oven — only small sheet pans fit — so we only made four of the six cookies, saving the other two for later. We lined the cookie sheet with parchment paper and cooked them at 350 degrees for about 18 minutes (the package recommends 16-20 minutes). They about doubled in size. I had one right out of the oven, and it was absolutely delicious — so gooey and the perfect balance of chocolate and cookie. I was on a video call with a friend while trying it, and she was envious of my afternoon snack, saying it looked like the Levain cookies we had together in New York, and I agree, they did remind me of those beloved freshly baked cookies.
Parmesan Herb Biscuits (6-pack)
The next day, I was itching to try the parmesan herb biscuits. I was going to save them to serve with dinner, but they ended up being a Sunday afternoon snack. I made all six on a sheet pan, baking them at 390 degrees for about 28 minutes (the package said 25-30 minutes). I ate a biscuit with the churned French butter, and it was savory, salty, and the perfect biscuit texture, crumbly but not too crumbly, flaky on the outside, and so good when warm. I rewarmed one the next day for breakfast, and it was just as good as leftovers. I want to order these again to try them with a roasted chicken or a hearty stew.
Plain Sourdough Loaf with Slow-Churned French Butter
Every week, my fiancé and I like to have good bread in the house, usually sourdough, so we can eat it as a side with meals or for breakfast. We were super excited to try the sourdough bread for our weekly bread. You can place it directly onto your oven rack. It was great with the French butter, served with soup, and as a side with salad. It was definitely less of a sandwich bread and more of a dipping/snacking bread, so be sure to keep that in mind. But it was delicious nonetheless.
Croissants (4-pack)
The croissants were a dream breakfast. I had one with the French butter (if you can’t tell by now, I loved the French butter and put it on everything!) with a side of blueberries. It was soft, flaky, and buttery, like an elevated version of those croissants you can buy in a tube at the store, except with way better ingredients and much fresher. These would be perfect if you were having someone over for breakfast or brunch and wanted to have delicious croissants without all the fuss — just pop them in the oven and you have an impressive side for your guests.
Fresh Tonnarelli (12 oz)
We made the pasta for a Sunday night dinner, adding in burst cherry tomatoes and spicy Italian sausage. We cooked the pasta according to the package, about 6–8 minutes in boiling salted water in an 8-quart pot, and yet it came out a little bit clumped. The directions recommended breaking the pasta up while it was cooking, but even when we did that, there were still some bits that stuck together in the end. Besides that little hiccup, the pasta was really good. You could taste the freshness of it; it was so much better than any boxed or regular dried pasta. We didn’t make it with sauce, but the package does recommend doing that, so we might just have to order it again to try it out that way. It was still really great with the fixings we put on it, and we devoured most of it with only minimal leftovers, which my partner happily ate for lunch the next day.
Sourdough Demi Baguettes (2-pack)
The baguettes were great to have on hand, we threw one in when we wanted a side to go with dinner one night, and the other when I was sick and wanted just a little snack to eat when I didn’t have much of an appetite. I, again, ate it with the amazing French butter, and it was fabulous. When I was sick, it was a perfect warm snack to lift my spirits, cozy and simple. The sourdough was really exceptional, with great flavor and a hearty chew. It was the best when fresh out of the oven, but even a couple of days later, it was still fresh.
So, is Wildgrain worth it?
Wildgrain is great for people who love having options of baked goods throughout the month, who want fresh sourdough but don’t have the time to make it themselves, who love trying new and interesting baked goods, and who want to eat more fresh and quality ingredients instead of the processed baked goods at many big box stores. It’s also so convenient for anyone who’s really busy, whether it’s because of work or family or something else. Being able to have all your baked goods for the month delivered right to your door is such a plus.
“Overall, it was wonderful to have so many bakery options on hand that we could easily pull out of the freezer and make.”
My partner and I have both been trying to eat more whole foods and foods made from real ingredients, so having high-quality bread, croissants, and biscuits that fit the bill on hand was a game-changer. We found ourselves reaching for these items excitedly, barely noticing that we didn’t have highly processed chips or crackers from the store in the house anymore. It was like we had a little bakery in our fridge, with whatever we wanted ready in minutes! It’s also so hard to find really good French butter, and the block they sent lasted all month long and was mouth-wateringly good — salty, creamy, and spreadable. We were so happy to be eating baked goods that are a great source of fiber and made from unbleached flour and without artificial colors.
A membership ranges from $89–$109 per box, and shipping is free. You get $30 off your first order, and free croissants in every box which makes it easy to give it a try. From there, you can change your delivery frequency, reschedule your next charge date, and cancel any time (there’s no minimum time commitment!). Plus, Wildgrain takes about 20 hours to make their breads, compared to the only 20 minutes for the average supermarket loaf. When you think about the care, high-quality ingredients, passionate bakers, and attention to detail, the cost is well worth it. (And the convenience of having artisanal bakery quality goods in your freezer that you can make in under a half hour without having to leave the house is hard to beat!)
All in all, Wildgrain was such a treat! I loved the convenience, the quantities, the quality, and the ease of it all. I’m already looking forward to what I’ll try in my next box!
THIS STORY IS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR FRIENDS AT WILDGRAIN
Brianna Schubert is a Contributing Editor at The Good Trade and the Digital Editor at Milwaukee Magazine. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Since 2023, Brianna has combined her expertise and investigative skills to deliver thoughtful reviews of sustainable products and home goods, helping readers make informed, eco-conscious choices. Brianna is also the writer behind The Mood Board, a Substack newsletter for creativity and inspiration. When she’s not writing, you can find her cooking up a new recipe, reading and recommending books, cuddling with her cat, or finding hidden gems at vintage and thrift stores. Say hi on Instagram!
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