Finally got a decent oven spring on my sourdough. The trick was cold retard in the fridge for 14 hours instead of the usual 8. The crust came out much darker and the crumb had those irregular holes I've been chasing for months.
Current formula:
400g bread flour, 100g whole wheat
375g water (75% hydration)
100g levain (fed 1:5:5 the night before)
10g salt
Bulk ferment 5 hours at room temp with 4 stretch-and-folds. Shape, into banneton, straight to fridge. Bake next morning in a Dutch oven: 250C lid on 20 min, lid off 25 min at 230C.
The longer cold retard develops more complex flavors. It's worth the wait.
Managed to finish three books this month. Quick notes on each:
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. Even better than The Martian. The science is fun, the alien character is genuinely creative, and I couldn't put it down for the last 200 pages. Highly recommended.
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. Dense but worthwhile. The section on anchoring bias changed how I think about negotiations. Some chapters drag, but the core ideas are essential.
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. Re-read for the third time. Still funny, still raw. Makes me want to quit everything and work in a kitchen (I won't).
Spent a long weekend in Helsinki. Some notes for anyone planning a winter trip:
Daylight is short but the city is beautiful in the snow. Suomenlinna fortress is worth the ferry ride even in -15C
Loyly sauna is overrated and overpriced. Find a local public sauna instead
Market Hall (Vanha Kauppahalli) has amazing salmon soup and reindeer sandwiches
Design District is walkable and has great coffee shops
Get a day pass for public transport, trams are the best way to see the city
The locals are reserved but incredibly helpful when you ask. English works everywhere. Would go back in summer to see how different it feels with 20 hours of daylight.
The best weeknight dinner. Five ingredients, fifteen minutes, tastes like a restaurant.
For two:
200g spaghetti
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Good olive oil, generous amount
Red pepper flakes
Fresh parsley
Cook pasta in well-salted water. Meanwhile, gently heat olive oil with garlic slices on low — you want them golden, not brown. Add pepper flakes. When pasta is just short of al dente, transfer it to the pan with a cup of pasta water. Toss vigorously — the starch emulsifies with the oil. Add parsley, more oil, and serve immediately.
The secret is the pasta water. Don't drain it all — that starchy liquid is what makes the sauce.
After years of trying elaborate morning routines that I'd abandon in a week, I found one that works because it's stupidly simple:
Wake up, no phone for 30 minutes
Make coffee manually (pour-over, it's meditative)
Read 20 pages of whatever book I'm on
Then check messages
That's it. No journaling, no cold showers, no 5AM alarm. Just coffee and a book before the world gets loud. Been doing it for three months now and it's the first routine that didn't feel like work.
Not trying to build an audience or become an influencer. This is just a place to write things down so I remember them later. Recipes I liked, books I read, places I visited, random thoughts.
If someone stumbles on this and finds something useful — great. If not, it's still useful to me as a personal archive.
About
I'm Andrey. I cook, I read, I travel when I can. This is where I write things down.