Pro tip: I was killing my sourdough starter by feeding it with tap water

For about a year, my starter was always sluggish and my bread was dense. I kept it in a warm spot and fed it on a strict schedule, but it never really doubled. The lightbulb moment came when I visited my sister in Portland and used her filtered water for a feeding. That thing exploded overnight, like it was a completely different creature. Turns out the chlorine in my city tap water was holding everything back. Anyone else run into this with their local water supply?

3 comments

3 Comments

derek_lee19d ago

Used to think people were just being extra about their water, like it couldn't make that big of a difference. My starter was always just okay, never great, and I figured that was my skill level. Tried the filtered water trick on a whim last month and honestly felt like an idiot, the change was instant. Now I just keep a jug of filtered water by the fridge for my starter, it's the easiest fix ever.

anderson.taylor19d ago

Right? It's wild how the simplest things we overlook can be the actual problem... I see it all the time with people trying to fix something complicated when the real issue is just the basic stuff they're using.

charles_baker2819d ago

Classic @derek_lee, finding the one thing you didn't check.