I finally figured out why my sourdough wasn't rising right

Had a chat with an old baker at the farmers market last weekend. He asked if I was using tap water straight from the faucet. Turns out the chlorine in city water can kill your starter if you don't let it sit out overnight first. I've been struggling with flat loaves for like 6 months and it was just my water this whole time. Has anyone else dealt with this or am I the only one who didn't know?

3 comments

3 Comments

hayes.joel24d ago

That's actually a pretty common thing people miss. I remember reading somewhere that even letting the water sit out for like 15 minutes helps a lot of the chlorine evaporate. Some folks swear by using bottled spring water for their starter instead. I had a neighbor who tried filtered water from his fridge and it worked way better than tap. The problem is that chloramine, which some cities use instead of chlorine, doesn't evaporate as easily. That stuff can really mess with fermentation if you're not careful. Sounds like that baker gave you some solid advice though.

jana_scott24d ago

Ugh yes, that chloramine stuff is the worst... really threw my starter off too.

oscar74324d ago

You ever try keeping a jug of water on the counter for a day before baking? That's what worked for me after the same problem. @hayes.joel is right about chloramine being tougher, but letting it sit out still helps a bit if you're in a pinch. Also switched to cheap store brand spring water for feeding my starter and saw better results within a week.