The Pact – App Privacy Policy

Last updated: 24 February 2026  |. Effective: 24 February 2026

The Pact (“we”, “our”, or “the app”) is a baking and sourdough timeline app. This policy describes how the app handles your information.

1. Who this policy applies to

This policy applies to anyone who downloads and uses The Pact on iOS (and any other platforms where the app is available).

2. Information we store on your device

The app stores the following data only on your device (we do not collect or receive this data on our servers):

Preferences: Temperature unit (Celsius/Fahrenheit), notification settings (whether timer notifications are enabled, and whether high-priority alerts are used), and waking hours for reminders.
Onboarding: Whether you have completed the in-app onboarding.
Baking progress: The protocol and step you were last viewing, and whether you have dismissed the “last stage” card on the home screen.
Custom loaves: Any custom loaf recipes and schedules you create and save in the app.
Reminders: Any baking-step reminders you schedule, and their times.
Timer state: When you run a timer, the app keeps the current timer state on your device so it can show the countdown and notify you when the timer ends.

This data is stored locally using your device’s storage. Deleting the app will remove this data from that device.

3. Notifications and system features

Notifications: If you enable notifications, the app will schedule local notifications (e.g. when a timer finishes). These are created and delivered by your device; we do not send your data to a notification server for this.
Live Activities (iOS): When a timer is running, the app may show a Live Activity on your lock screen or in the Dynamic Island. The information shown (e.g. step name, countdown) is generated on your device and is not sent to us.

4. What we do not do

We do not collect or store your data on our servers for the core app experience.
We do not require you to create an account or sign in to use the app.
We do not sell your data to third parties.
We do not use your data for advertising or cross-app tracking in the way this policy describes the app today.

5. Third-party services

The app is built with common development frameworks (including Expo and React Native). Those may use standard technical capabilities (e.g. to run the app and display content). We do not use third-party analytics or advertising SDKs that collect personally identifiable information for marketing purposes.

6. Data security

Because the data described above stays on your device, its security depends on your device’s security (e.g. passcode, biometrics). We do not transmit or store this data on our own servers.

7. Children’s privacy

The app is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will work to delete it.

8. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top will change when we do. Continued use of the app after changes means you accept the updated policy. For significant changes, we may notify you in the app or via the support contact below.

9. Contact us

If you have questions about this privacy policy or the app’s handling of data, please contact us:

Support / privacy enquiries: Contact form

Weight Loss & Satiety: The Density Analysis of Sourdough vs. Commercial Bread

Commercial bread requires almost no chewing, dissolves instantly in the stomach, and leaves you hungry again within an hour. But sourdough is a different material entirely. It is dense. It is structured. And crucially, it is acidic.

The Second Brain: How Intestinal Microbes Influence Mood

There is a second nervous system in your body, one so complex and autonomous that scientists call it "The Second Brain." It is located not in your skull, but in your gut. This represents the Enteric Nervous System (ENS). And it doesn't just digest food. It manufactures the chemistry of your mood.

Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity: Is it the Gluten or the Fructans?

Because wheat contains both gluten and fructans, it is easy to confuse the two. When you stop eating bread, you eliminate both. You feel better. You blame the gluten. But you may have simply lowered your FODMAP load.

The Morning Toast Protocol: For Cortisol Management

Spiking your blood sugar with sweet carbs triggers a subsequent crash (reactive hypoglycaemia), which forces your body to release Cortisol and Adrenaline to bring levels back up. You are literally chemically inducing stress before 10 AM.

Meet The Yeast: The Sprinter vs. The Marathon Runner

In the world of baking, the word "yeast" is used carelessly. We treat the beige granules in a packet and the wild population in a sourdough starter as if they are the same organism just living at different speeds. They are not.

Sugar Hunters: How Amylase Unlocks the Grain

Microbes are hungry. To survive, they need sugar. But flour is not sugar. It is starch—long, complex chains of glucose molecules locked together in granules. For a yeast cell, a starch granule is like a boulder. It is too big to eat. Before the yeast can feast, someone has to break the rock. This is the job of Amylase.

The Invisible War: Phages

You can see mold. You can smell kahm yeast. But the most lethal predator in your sourdough starter is entirely invisible. They are Bacteriophages (or simply "Phages"). They are viruses that hunt bacteria. And in the dense microbial city of a sourdough culture, they are the apex predators.

The Survivor: Lactobacillus plantarum

Lactobacillus plantarum is a survivor. It is the "Navy SEAL" of the lactic acid bacteria. It is found everywhere: in sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi, olive brines, and—crucially—in the most robust sourdough starters.

The "Scrapings" Method: Zero Waste Maintenance

Standard sourdough maintenance protocols are inherently wasteful. The classic "1:1:1" feeding ratio—where you discard half your starter to feed the rest—is a relic of a time when flour was cheap and understanding of microbiology was poor. Over the course of a year, a conscientious home baker following these rules will throw away kilograms of high-quality grain.

Tactile Metrics: The Windowpane, The Poke, The Jiggly Test

The only reliable clock is the dough itself. To read it, you must stop looking and start touching. These are the three Tactile Metrics that every sourdough baker must master to judge the invisible biology of the jar.

The Ultimate Guide to Autolyse

In the rush to get bread into the oven, many home bakers skip the first, most critical step of the process.

They mix everything at once—flour, water, starter, salt—and then wonder why their dough fights them. Why it tears when they stretch it. Why the crumb is tight. The missing variable is Autolyse.

Troubleshoot: Gummy Crumb

There is a specific heartbreak reserved for the moment you slice a beautiful loaf, only to find the knife coated in a sticky, shiny residue. The crumb looks wet. When you press it, it balls up like putty rather than springing back. It eats like raw dough.

Olive Oil: The Lipid Softener

Sourdough is traditionally lean (Flour, Water, Salt). When you introduce a lipid like Extra Virgin Olive Oil, you are entering the territory of "Enriched Dough." You are trading some crust crispness for crumb tenderness.

Whole Wheat: The Thirsty Substrate

White flour is a fuel source; Whole Wheat is a meal. By including the bran (the outer shell) and the germ (the embryo), you introduce a complex array of minerals and fibres that fundamentally change the physics of the dough.

Seeds: The Hydration Thieves

Seeds are not passive additions to bread. They are biologically active sponges. If you throw raw seeds into your dough, they will compete with the gluten for water, often winning the war and leaving you with a dry, tight loaf.

Altitude Baking: Adjusting Pressure Variables

At high altitudes, the air pressure is lower. This invisible change alters the behaviour of every gas bubble and water molecule in your dough. To bake successfully, you must adjust your variables to match your environment.

The Ear: The Physics of Differential Expansion

The ear is more than decoration. It is functional physics. It is the visual proof that your loaf expanded to its maximum potential before the crust hardened. To get an ear, you must master the forces of Tension and Differential Expansion.

The Physics of Steam: Why Moisture Creates a Crispier Crust

It seems like a contradiction. If you want a dry, crispy crust, why would you flood your oven with water? Yet, every professional baker knows that steam is the secret ingredient. A loaf baked in a dry oven will be dull, dense, and grey. A loaf baked in steam will be glossy, voluminous, and shatteringly crisp.

pH Dynamics: Charting the Drop from 6.0 to 3.5

The true clock of sourdough is not measured in minutes, but in pH. The transformation of dough from a simple mixture of flour and water into a complex, digestible, and flavorful loaf is driven by acidification. Understanding the curve of this drop is the difference between a loaf that is bland and gummy, and one that sings.

The Pact – App Privacy Policy

1. Who this policy applies to

2. Information we store on your device

3. Notifications and system features

4. What we do not do

5. Third-party services

6. Data security

7. Children’s privacy

8. Changes to this policy

9. Contact us

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The Pact: Sourdough Protocols

Explore the science

The Body

The Microbes

The Method

The Ingredients

The Chemistry

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They Bake for Aesthetics. We bake for biology 💁‍♀️.

CITIZEN SCIENCE FOR STEWARDS OF SOURDOUGH

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CITIZEN SCIENCE FOR STEWARDS OF SOURDOUGH |

The Pact

The Protocol

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