Important Notice: Our web hosting provider recently started charging us for additional visits, which was unexpected. In response, we're seeking donations. Depending on the situation, we may explore different monetization options for our Community and Expert Contributors. It's crucial to provide more returns for their expertise and offer more Expert Validated Answers or AI Validated Answers. Learn more about our hosting issue here.

Does water hardness affect yeast-leavened dough?

0
Posted

Does water hardness affect yeast-leavened dough?

0

Yes. Water hardness refers to the calcium and magnesium ions in the water. Levels will vary by locality, and sources such as wells, rivers, or reservoirs. Your local water company should be able to supply you with this information. Some hard waters (200 ppm and higher) are objectionable because they can elevate the pH of the dough, causing a retarding effect on yeast and enzyme activity. This prolongs fermentation and affects the handling of the dough. Medium soft water (50 to 100 ppm) is considered to be the desired level of hardness. Soft water (0 to 15 ppm) is undesirable because it tends to soften the gluten and produce slack, sticky doughs and a finished product with a more open grain. The use of mineral yeast food or a slight increase in salt level would supply the hardness necessary to improve the absorption and crumb structure. Additions of lactic acid, acetic acid and monocalcium phosphate are easy corrections for this problem, too. from techserve.net Milk gives bread a more t

Related Questions

Thanksgiving questions

*Sadly, we had to bring back ads too. Hopefully more targeted.