So...I am conducting an experiment. Please wish me much FAILURE!

[Lucinda]

I haven't been getting the rise in my dough that I should, and I suspect my crappy tap water may be the culprit. Sooo....I am warming my chilled, bottled water to see what happens.

If it rises as it should, I'll get good bread and know what to blame. Win/win!

.

[housewolf]

1. So what did you discover????

Enquiring people want to know....

:-)


Just curioius, is this a new starter or one that you've been working with for a while?

[Lucinda]

2. Was just the normal A in 5 bread and........

it DID make a difference. Much better rise not using tap water. Scary.

[hippywife]

3. Hmmmm...

We have a Pur three-stage filter on our faucet. I think I'm going to try to filter my water the next time to see what happens.

:hi: :*

[Lucinda]

5. I didn't have any luck with on faucet filters before

so 'ive been doing bottled water for drinking...
I did use hot tap for theraflu and yeast proofing before...not gonna do that anymore

[housewolf]

7. Don't know about your area, but some areas have a lot of chlorine in their water

that inhibits yeast, as does the acid/alkalinity of water.

I lived in Phoenix for 3 1/2 years before coming to Portland, where the water is absolutely horrid. There were days in the summer when residents were advised not to drink the tap water because of the high choline levels. I was able to make yeasted breads okay using filtered water, but I couldn't get much of a rise out of a sourdough starter to save my live. The only water that gave me even a decent sourdough-rise was Arrowhead, everything else was just UGH.

Water matters, in bread baking. You'll probably have much better luck using filtered water.

[Lucinda]

8. I can smell chlorine...but I have a good sniffer

Well water in the city is excellent, but the city water sucks. Same in the next town, which is even worse. So... it's bottled water for baking from now on...Thankie for the info!

[Duer 157099]

4. Same here. We have very hard tap water.

So I always use bottled water for really important things, like bread and coffee.

[Lucinda]

6. I'll be doing the same for tea and bread

:hi: