caseyfox•1d agoMost Upvoted

Spent 3 months trying to fix my sourdough starter before realizing the problem was my tap water

Kept getting a weird smell and no rise. Switched to bottled water and it doubled in 4 hours. Has anyone else had water chemistry mess with their starter like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

andrew_wood721d ago

Tap water can definitely cause issues but I think you jumped to a fix too fast. Most city water has chlorine or chloramine that kills off the bacteria. Letting the water sit out overnight usually fixes that problem. Bottled water works but it's an extra expense and a hassle. I'd try the tap water again after leaving it uncovered for 24 hours. Bet it works fine then.

emma_smith1d ago

Gosh, I used to be one of those people who swore tap water was fine for everything! I remember leaving jugs out overnight and still getting dud bakes. Took me forever to figure out it was the chloramine, which doesn't off-gas like chlorine does. @andrew_wood72, your point about bottled water being a hassle is fair, but for me, buying a gallon of spring water once a week was way easier than playing guessing games with my starter. Sometimes the simple fix is the right one, even if it costs a tiny bit extra.