The holidays are the best time for baking. In fact, with supply chain issues and inflation plaguing the 2021 holiday season, home-baked goods may be the best gift that you can produce for your friends, family, and coworkers. However, your home’s water could thwart your efforts by compromising the quality of your baked goods. Instead, get softened water to improve your baking with a home water softener.

Hard Water and Baked Goods

Using hard water for baking does not do your food any favors. In fact, hard water can create problems with the finished products. For example, hard water can slow down the rate of fermentation and tighten the gluten in flour. Therefore, you may have tougher bread that doesn’t rise as high.

Chlorinated water can also cause problems if you bake sourdough. The chlorine can damage the culture used to help the bread rise. Using a water softener with a filter can reduce the chlorides that causes this issue and reduce hardness in the water.

Why Softened Water Improves Baking

A water softener removes the minerals in hard water by exchanging the calcium and magnesium ions in hard water with sodium ions. This ion exchange removes the minerals, reducing the total dissolved solids in the water. Softened water no longer presents the problems caused by hard water in baking. However, in some rare instances, water that is too soft may affect the recipe, too. If you notice issues such as dough that is too soft or sticky, you may need to add a little more flour.

Other Benefits of Softened Water in Your Home

A whole-home water softener also benefits other areas of your home outside the baking oven. For instance, you can reduce your cleaning by not having scale buildup on your showerheads or faucets. Plus, your water heater will last longer when you have softened water. A water softener is an investment in your whole home, not just your baking.

Get Softened Water in Your Home with Help from Us at Oceanus

The best way to get softened water for your baking is by contacting us at Oceanus to have a whole-home water softener installed. With softer water, you can avoid tough bread and other issues caused by hard water. Improve your holiday baking starting with a call to us at Oceanus.

Sources

https://besthomewatertreatmentsystems.com/products/water-softener-with-filtration/

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/6-gift-ideas-not-affected-by-the-supply-chain-11636131307

https://besthomewatertreatmentsystems.com/products/water-softener/

https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/pro/reference/water https://besthomewatertreatmentsystems.com/contact-us