Vent: I think everyone is wrong about letting dough rise overnight in the fridge

Last week at the bakery I work at in Portland, we had a new hire who insisted cold proofing our sourdough for 18 hours was the only way. I tried it on a batch of our standard boules, and the crust was way too thick and chewy, and the crumb was dense. In my experience, a solid 4 hour bulk ferment at a warm room temp, around 75 degrees, gives a much better open texture and a crispier crust. I've been doing it this way for about three years now and the customers notice the difference. Has anyone else found that long cold ferments can sometimes work against you, or is it just our specific flour blend?

Got stuck on the 405 for an hour because someone's couch fell off a truck

I was just past the Getty Center exit when traffic just stopped, and after inching forward for what felt like forever, I saw a whole sofa sitting in the middle lane (like, who does that?). I had to call my boss and say I'd be late, which was super fun. Has anyone else had a commute ruined by flying furniture?

Rant: I thought gua sha was just a TikTok trend until a client in Denver swore by it for her jawline.

She came in with way less puffiness after doing it herself for six weeks. I tried it on a few other clients with similar tension patterns, and the results were actually noticeable. So, is this a legit tool we should be adding, or is it just a fad that'll fade?

Vent: My power went out for 3 days and I finally watched The Bear

No internet, no distractions. Just me and that whole first season. The stress in that kitchen felt more real than my own life for a bit. Anyone else have a show they only watched because they were forced to sit still?

Warning: a 'simple' dishwasher pump swap turned into a 4-hour fight

Got a call for a Bosch that wouldn't drain. Figured it was the pump, easy job. The old pump was stuck on there with some kind of factory sealant that felt like concrete. Ended up breaking two of my plastic pry tools trying to get it off. Had to drive back to the shop for a metal scraper and a heat gun, which I never need for these. What's the trick for those super-stuck Bosch pumps without wrecking the housing?

Rant: I mean, I always rushed the mold pre-heat step before.

Slowing down cut my scrap rate by half, no joke.

Caught my coworker doing air guitar on the subway this morning!

It totally made my commute and now I can't stop smiling!

Showerthought: Wet curing kept my patio slab from cracking in the heat, why didn't I believe it sooner?

Shoutout to my crew for helping me through a tough crawl space...

They really had my back when I was stuck... It made the whole thing way less stressful.

Seeing mostly empty buses on my route every day challenges the green transit narrative

I used to agree that buses were the best eco-option, but my commute shows they're often less efficient than a full carpool.