Sunday Notes: Ovens Lie

My oven runs 32°F cool at 500°F. I only found out because I finally bought a proper analog oven thermometer after the tenth time someone on r/Sourdough asked, 'have you actually checked?'

The immediate fix: preheat 15 minutes longer, bake 25°F hotter than the recipe calls for. Crust color went from tan to mahogany overnight, and the crumb finished with far less gumminess.

Every recipe is written assuming a calibrated oven. Almost no home oven is calibrated. Cheapest, highest-impact tool in the kitchen.