My old oven thermometer was off by 40 degrees and I only found out after 2 years of blaming my starter
I bake sourdough twice a week and always wondered why my loaves came out pale and gummy on the inside even though I proofed them the same way every time. Last Tuesday I finally tossed a $12 oven thermometer in next to my usual spot and it read 410 when the dial said 450, so I'd been baking everything 40 degrees cold for almost two years. Here's the debate part: some folks say just learn your oven and adjust the dial by feel, and others say never trust a dial and always use a standalone thermometer. The first side says thermometers drift too and you'll chase numbers forever, but I tested mine against boiling water and it was dead on. So do you trust the dial and just add time, or do you spend the money and check every bake? I want to hear from people who've baked in the same kitchen for years, did you ever measure your real temp or just go by how the crust looks?