Can we talk about how most home bakers kill their sourdough starter with tap water and don't even know it

Victor Clark · 2026-10-10T21:20:04.911628+00:00

So I've been baking sourdough at home for about 2 years now, and for the longest time my loaves were flat and dense no matter what I did. I tried every flour, every hydration level, different proofing times, the whole thing. Then last month my neighbor Carol, who's been baking bread for like 30 years, asked me if I let my tap water sit out overnight before feeding my starter. I had no clue what she was talking about. Turns out the chlorine in most city water can knock back the wild yeast in a starter, and I live in Columbus where they hit the water pretty hard. I started filling a mason jar the night before and letting it sit on the counter, and within 4 days my starter was doubling in like 6 hours. My last 3 loaves have had actual oven spring and a ear on them for the first time ever. If you're using straight tap water and your starter seems lazy, try letting it sit out for 12 to 24 hours first. Anyone else deal with this or is my water just extra rough?

SMM Buzz

Loading…

Can we talk about how most home bakers kill their sourdough starter with tap water and don't even know it | Bakers - SMM Buzz