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My sourdough starter went from zero to hero after I stopped feeding it tap water from my city's supply, a fix that took me a solid 3 months of flat loaves to figure out.
I was about to give up after weeks of dense bricks, but switching to bottled spring water for feedings finally gave me that perfect open crumb, so has anyone else had their local water chemistry wreck a bake?
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patricia_mason5d ago
Honestly, I think people blame water way too fast. My starter has been fine on straight tap water for years, even with the chlorine. Tbh, if your starter is weak, it's probably your technique or the flour. I've seen folks get amazing loaves with hard city water, they just adjust the proofing time. Ngl, switching to bottled water feels like an extra step that isn't needed for most bakers.
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the_cameron5d ago
That "zero to hero" change is wild. I had the same problem with my city's chlorinated water killing the yeast. A cheap filter pitcher fixed it for me. Water quality is a silent killer for starters.
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