My dough isn't rising!!

[JoeV]

In the 4 years I've been baking bread, I have never altered the 2% milk I use in my bread formulas. It is used right from the jug and into the water to be blended. I may put the milk and purified water in the microwave to take the chill of of it, but I do not scald milk and get beautiful rises. If someone wants to get a better rise from their bread, use purified water instead of city tap water (I use a Brita Filter jug). The city water has chlorine in it which inhibits/kills yeast. Our water comes from Lake Erie, and they super chlorinate in the summer to kill off the spores when the algae blooms in the lake. It very difficult to get a 1-hour rise at this time without using purified water.

[duonyte]

I also don't recall any problems using milk these days, but there may be some differences in how milk is processed locally. In any event, it's something to consider if there is a problem as was described.

[Chocolatl]

I've never had a problem using chlorinated water, either.