The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

How do you warm your water?

floureverywhere's picture
floureverywhere

How do you warm your water?

I had been using filtered water from the sink, which I would leave at room temperature for a day to allow chlorine to evaporate, before using for sourdough.  More recently I switched to a Britta to more quickly filter impurities.  Now that it is winter, I am starting to pay closer attention to the temperature my water -- wanting to hit around 78 - 80 degrees.

My question is...   when trying to use warm water, it seems my choices would be to use warm water from the tap, or take my filtered water and either stick it in the microwave or warm it on the stove.  This is a lot of extra work.

I feel like I may just go back to using warm tap water.  So, where is the tradeoff?  Chlorine vs. warm water?  

What do YOU do?

gavinc's picture
gavinc

I use the microwave. I first calculate what the water temp should be to meet the desired dough temperature. My water is from the tap that has an in-line filter (on the cold water). If I mix in hot water, it is not filtered, so I use cold and warm in the microwave. 

 

Benito's picture
Benito

I use filtered water that comes out at fridge temperature with the filtration system of my fridge.  The water is more or less 3ºC or so.  I simply microwave the water.  If I plan ahead enough, I’ll leave it in a measuring cup for several hours and then a shorter burst in the microwave will warm it up to whatever temperature I require.

Benny

Another Girl's picture
Another Girl

There's a pitcher of filtered water in the fridge and a tiny butter warmer pot that lives on my stovetop. I just pour a few grams more water than I need into the pot and hold the thermapen in it while it heats up. Such a small amount of water heats up by 40°F in about a minute and there's no overheating. Old school, but super quick and easy.

floureverywhere's picture
floureverywhere

Throughout this year long sourdough journey, my motto has consistently been: the more you know, the less you know.  It is incredible to me how much nuance there is in bread baking!  So interesting to see what everyone does.  I guess I'll try microwaving my filtered water and see what I think!

greyspoke's picture
greyspoke

I use the microwave.  But on the dough, not the water, saves trying to calculate how much warmer you want the water to end up with the dough temp. you want (my kitchen is often at 16 or 17C, so a fair bit of warming can be needed).  The microbes don't seem to mind.

Ilya Flyamer's picture
Ilya Flyamer

Wow I had a fleeting thought about microwaving dough directly to the DDT, but was scared to try.

greyspoke's picture
greyspoke

Well they are only microbes Ilya, I wouldn't try it with higher life forms!  With 1 loaf of dough, 10 sec on high, leave for a bit then test, then a bit more if needed seems to work.  

Ilya Flyamer's picture
Ilya Flyamer

Perfect, thanks! Must be the easiest way to reach a specific DDT, just mix everything cold or room temperature, and then microwave in small increments.

gerhard's picture
gerhard

microwaves don’t seem to do it very evenly and the internal temperature seems to need a rest period to equalize. I wonder if this characteristic would be fatal to the sourdough culture.

Benito's picture
Benito

I would worry about hot spots getting too hot and killing the microbes.  Having to microwave in bursts to avoid hot spots would also take me longer than just heating the water to 90ºF and mixing.  I can usually pretty much hit my desired FDT in the winter with that water temp.

greyspoke's picture
greyspoke

Here a loaf whose dough got about 20 sec on high in the microwave.  Its 70% wholemeal wheat, with a bit of spelt and rye, and some buter and skimmed milk for softness, all sourdough.

 

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

Set to "stun" for half a second.  The little beasties let their tongues hang out but they ain't dead.

Another way, use cooled leftover water from making coffee (still on drip with antique filter holder) clamping my hands on opposite sides of the electric pot to feel the warmth.  Ahhh, so nice and warm, yup, little beasties will like that bathtub temp.

headupinclouds's picture
headupinclouds

Good idea.  Save your photon torpedos (maximum yield) to improve oven spring.

greyspoke's picture
greyspoke

I agree Benito and Bernhard uneven heating is a potential issue, but I think the small amount of heating required means the max temp achieved is not too much.

Mini - absolutely, an added benefit is that if you hold a slice to your ear you can listen in on 5G phone calls.

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

its not so strong and use the setting for cake.

 Today I held fresh warm banana bread to my ear and you know what?   ....Nothing.

 I think "they" are on to us.  

Neat looking pan/tray under the bread board.  Can it make an interesting stencil for decoration?   ...on bread?

greyspoke's picture
greyspoke

I hadn't seen that in the breadboard I might give it a go Mini.  It is from my wife's family in Wales.  Fancy tea services and related tea-time paraphernalia are a bit of a thing here, or at least they were.  Inviting neighbours for tea and showing off the best China was an important social mechanism.

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

I was thinking about boxing away most of the coffee cups and desert plates, extra water glasses and such because they are just collecting dust this year.  No need to keep so many on hand.  We only use the few dishes in the front.

Maybe by summer when all goes well I can have the girls over for scrabble and coffee.  We are all pretty lucky as the immunizations are coming years ahead of what we first thought.  It will be another tough year and who knows? Maybe most of us need boosters a year after the first shots.  This will take time.  Hey, I can still see my last smallpox scar.  

I was a red cross volunteer for the first swine flu vaccination.  77?  They gave me the band-aid box at the end of the assembly line.  Guess they can't use the speedy pistol with these shots, need social distancing.  Wonder if they became obsolete. Edit: found my answer...  https://jtip.com/history-of-jet-injection/    

I wonder if one of these obsolete pistols could inject bread dough with gas or yeast.  Could just blast the bejeebees out of it sending dough blobs all over the kitchen.  Into cleaning walls & ceiling?  Where were we?  Ah yes, hot water.  Hmmm?