> I love my mom....

Sure you do. Betcha she makes bread with bakers' yeast, even so-called
"sourdough", that is, if she makes bread at all, 'cause she is probably
buying at the supermarket. And so will you -- the irrational influence of
moms cannot be underestimated.

I LOVE MY MOM! But I do not blindly follow her example. I doubt mom ever
made sourdough.

> I am a physicist, but I can read chemistry if I have to.

Yeah, but can you do chemistry? Can you fluff up old sourdough for pancakes
with sodium bicarbonate, and explain why that works?

Yes

Can you deal equally well with Celsius and Fahrenheit.?

Yes

Can you calibrate your oven thermostat?

Yes.

Can you determine how much flour an 8-fluid-ounce measuring cup holds.

Yes, but why bother. It is so much easier to just weigh the stuff.

Here is a good test for the physicist in you: how many grams of water does
an 8-fluid-ounce measuring cup contain?

Gee, I feel like I am back in school! Since I am a smart-a** physicist, I
will ask -- at what temperature?

Nice to meet another crumudgeon,

Ice