Is Hard Water Ruining Your Holiday Baking?

If you find yourself struggling with the quality of your baked goods this holiday season, your recipe (or skills in the kitchen) may not be the issue. Using hard water greatly affects the characteristics and quality of the breads that you are baking.

There is an ideal hardness that your water should have that is shown to be the most suitable for your baked goods. Before the holidays are in full swing, you may be in need of a water softener installation.

The Effects On Baking

Goods like breads, cakes or cookies are perfected by the art of baking. If your baked goods are not turning out how you like them, it may be the minerals in your water. Hard water has dissolved minerals in it that can change the way your ingredients perform. The minerals in the water can impact the gluten structure in your breads. Baking with hard water will create a dough that is tough and rubbery.

Yeast is an ingredient that is heavily affected by hard water, as well. The minerals make it hard for the flour to absorb water, which will interrupt the fermentation process of the yeast – and leave your bread tough and dry.

The mineral content of your water plays a huge role in the outcome of your baked goods – and so does the acidity of the water. The pH level of your water is another thing to think about when baking. Hard water has a higher pH, which means that it is more acidic.

The optimal pH level to help the yeast perform the best is one below seven. In breads, water is about 40% of the total dough mass, which means that the type of water you’re using plays a huge role. Even if there are small amounts of minerals, there can be a large negative effect on your baking.

Correcting Hard Water

The best water for baking is medium hardness and a pH lower than seven. Water with a medium hardness is better because the mineral salts have a strengthening effect on the gluten of the dough. If you are looking to correct your hard water, water softener installations from a company like Kinetico Sn Antonio are quick and easy.

Hard water is softened by using a water softener to remove the calcium and magnesium that it contains. The minerals are removed when the water passes through the system’s resin bed. There are many different options for water softeners, such as multi-tank systems or a smaller, more traditional one. Installing a water softener will have your baked goods soft and doughy again.

Start impressing your guests with the quality of your baked goods. All you need is a water softener! Kinetico water systems feature many options that will fit your baking needs. Contact us today to fix your water before the holiday season.