The things that keep me sharp, competitive, and grounded — markets, bread, and badminton.
Baking is the closest thing to bench science I do at home. Wild yeast behavior, hydration ratios, fermentation windows, crumb structure — there are variables to control and hypotheses to test in every bake. It demands the same patience that long-term cohort research does.
My long-ferment sourdough is the anchor of my baking practice, but I push into enriched doughs, laminated breads, and steamed formats regularly. Each loaf is a new experiment in understanding how flour, water, salt, and time interact.
There's a particular satisfaction in the gap between what you put in and what you get out — a 72-hour cold-proofed sourdough bears almost no resemblance to its ingredients, and that transformation is genuinely fascinating.
Bao buns and stuffed burger buns are the opposite end: fast, forgiving, deeply satisfying. Both extremes have their place.