Realized I was killing my sourdough starter with tap water for 8 months

After wondering why my loaves were always flat and dense, I finally tested the pH of my San Antonio tap water. It was like 8.5, way too alkaline for the starter to thrive. Switched to using bottled spring water for feeding and got my first real oven spring last Thursday. Anyone else struggle with city water wrecking their baking results?

2 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In

2 Comments

the_alice2mo ago

I mean, is tap water pH really that big of a deal, lol?

7

charles_baker282mo ago

Wait, you don't think pH matters? That's wild to me honestly. Like, my buddy who works at a water treatment place told me how much work goes into balancing it just right so pipes don't corrode and it still tastes decent. I never paid it any mind until he showed me the difference between what comes out of our tap vs. some bottled stuff. pH might not kill you instantly but it does mess with the flavor and how your body processes it over time.

8