What happens if bread is made with sparkling water?
I am making a white bread with 500g regular flour, about 300g water, sourdough starter, yeast and salt. It will rest and raise some time before being baked. Pretty basic.
Now I was wondering, what would happen if I used sparkling water. Will the bubbles do something to the chemical reaction that builds gluten? Or maybe create additional holes in the bread when it's done? Will the bread be significantly different from using plain water?
Best Answer
I am not a chemist, but my grandma always used to make bread (and similar stuff) with sparkling water instead of still water. She always mentioned that the result will be more fluffy and airy. This only addresses the question about the (important) consistency though, but I guess you should just try it out yourself.
Edit:
Some benefits of using sparkling water in the kitchen
As this answer got downvoted to zero I guess my grandma was not convincing enough. So I asked a befriended chef who works at a luxury hotel chain in Germany. Here's what he explained:
- Desserts can be made more creamy without actually adding cream. Here he gave examples of pudding/mousse-ish desserts
- Vegetables steamed with sparkling water results in less loss of color (i.e. brighter colors), more crispyness, and stronger taste. He particularly recommended to try it with carrots, broccoli or cauliflower.
- You can add sparkling water to thick soups shortly before serving to get them more foamy.
- Similar with Salad dressings
- Last but not least he confirmed precisely what my grandma said. For doughs and similar stuff (for salty or sweet dishes) you would get a nice fluffy texture. Kudos to my grandma at this point.
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Quick Answer about "What happens if bread is made with sparkling water?"
Yeast breads rise because the dough traps the C02 generated by fermentation. The lightening effect of sparkling water in dough is even more basic, according to Kevin Ryan, a food scientist at the University of Illinois at Urbana.What does sparkling water do in baking?
Use sparkling mineral water when making cake, waffles, pancakes, and more. The sparkling water causes cakes to rise better and results in a fluffier texture. It's great in waffle batter, too: substitute one part of the milk with sparkling water and follow the recipe as you normally would.Can you use sparkling water for pizza dough?
If you talk to the Neapolitans, they say that the water from Naples is key. Other people like carbonated water, because it adds a bit of crispness to the dough. But we use a flat water, which lets the dough be what it's intended to be.Can you use sparkling water to make sourdough starter?
There is really no benefit to using carbonated water for your sourdough starter. I would recommend you stick to uncarbonated water. Remember that soda water or club soda depending on where you live is not only carbonated, but also has added salts. These added salts are not beneficial to your sourdough starter.What effect does water have on bread?
It is in the presence of water that gluten forms. Water serves as a solvent and dispersing agent (for salt, sugar, and yeast). Water is necessary for yeast fermentation and reproduction; softer doughs will ferment more quickly than dry doughs. Water is responsible for the consistency of bread dough.Carbonated water is a miracle. How to make the dough for the fluffiest bread?
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Answer 2
i have a book called Baking With Passion by Dan Lepard and Richard Whittington. (Dan L runs some very classy bakeries in London and, I believe, is a highly respected baker.)
In there, it says "We prefer to use bottled still spring water. This does not rule out the use of tap water, but bottled water is less likely to contain chlorine or other chemicals which might well impede yeast activity." I use ordinary tap water that has been boiled, adjusted to the right temperature with cold water straight from the tap.
I agree with Catja's reply and I wouldn't think there could be any air left from the bubbles once the bread has been mixed, kneaded, proved, and pummeled again.
Answer 3
Re: Sparkling water.
It doesn't go flat as quickly as you think. The mineral water has a lot of dissolved calcium (french or italian brands) and thus the CO2 binds to the CaCO3 and it takes a while for the bonds to break. You can leave the stuff uncapped overnight and find it still fizzy in the morning. The same can't be said for soft drinks. They are called soft drinks, because the distilled water has no minerals. (Actually, I made that last line up - but its true!)
Something I learned in fish keeping and live aquatic plant care.
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