AJ Julka MD

04/04/2026

Dropped my hydration down to 63% from my usual ~70%. No olive oil — keeping the dough traditional. Added a touch of sugar to wake up the yeast, then cold fermented for 24 hours.

The result? A Neapolitan-New York hybrid. Not quite the airy, chewy rise you get with a true Neapolitan, but special in its own way. Stretch it thin and you get a cracker crust. Stretch it a little thicker and you get that crispy outside, soft inside texture that’s honestly addicting.

The hardest part of pizza at home? It’s not the dough — it’s getting the top and bottom to cook evenly. That takes patience and attention.

My go-to method in a home oven: broiler on high for 3-4 minutes. Rotate the pizza frequently — the back of the oven runs hotter than the front. Once the bottom is cooked, pull it off the pizza steel and move it closer to the broiler to finish the top.

Spiral the sauce, top with low-moisture mozz, and don’t be afraid of the char. Those leopard spots are the goal, not the mistake.

Tag someone who thinks homemade pizza can’t compete with a pizzeria 👇

03/25/2026

03/25/2026

🚨 5 Signs You Might Need a Shoulder Replacement

You've been dealing with this for months. Maybe years.
Here's how to know when it's time to stop managing — and start fixing.

1️⃣ Pain that wakes you up at 2 AM — every single night
2️⃣ You can't reach a shelf, a seatbelt, or get dressed without wincing
3️⃣ Your X-ray says "bone-on-bone" — there's nothing left to save
4️⃣ PT, cortisone, meds — you've tried it all and you're still hurting
5️⃣ Golf, grandkids, sleep — your shoulder is stealing your life

Surgery isn't giving up. It's the next step.

DM me or call JIS Orthopedics at (614) 221-6331
Link in bio to book a consultation.

Save this for someone who needs to see it.

03/24/2026

03/24/2026

This is not a frozen shoulder!!

Watch this inspiring before and after journey of our patient who underwent a reverse total shoulder replacement 5 months ago.

From barely moving to full range of motion — this is what recovery looks like.

Dealing with shoulder pain that won't quit? Let's talk about your options.

📍 New Albany, OH — Serving Columbus and all of Central Ohio

03/22/2026

This shoulder was bone-on-bone six weeks ago.

Anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty — done as an outpatient procedure. Home the same day.

One of the details that separates a good result from a great one is implant sizing. An oversized humeral head overstuffs the joint, overtensions the rotator cuff, and trades one problem for another.

We plan every case from a 3D CT scan. Advanced software lets us virtually place your implants — head size, offset, version — before you ever reach the operating room. No guesswork. An approach built around your anatomy.

My favorite part of this job is watching someone get their life back. That never gets old.

Dealing with shoulder pain that won’t quit? Let’s talk about your options.

📍 New Albany, OH — Serving Columbus and all of Central Ohio

03/19/2026

Sourdough — before and after.

Hydration, timing, tension, temperature. Every variable matters. You don’t get the ear without the score. You don’t get the bloom without the steam. There’s no shortcut to the crust.

Surgery isn’t that different. Precision isn’t a gift — it’s a discipline. Hundreds of reps until your hands know what to do before your brain catches up.

I learned to cook from my mother, who is an incredible cook. She taught me that making something with your hands and feeding the people you love is one of the best things you can do. Homemade pasta, cold-fermented pizza dough, sourdough — these are some of my favorites. That tradition carried forward.

🍞🔪

03/07/2026

Dad and daughter enjoying our new found freedom with Breakfast at our favorite spot.

03/04/2026

07/15/2025

Through chemo, countless hospital days, and now recovering from her bone marrow transplant… she still finds a way to shine. 💛

Last week, from her hospital room, she sat at a little bedside table with jars, glue, and charms — carefully making her first big order for 15 slimes for her new business, “Slime Magic.” ✨

Watching her hands stretch and swirl each batch, adding just the right touch of color and sparkle, you’d never guess the road she’s been on. Her energy may be low, but her spirit is unshakable.

No matter what life throws at her, she is still dreaming, still creating, still building something beautiful. And now she’s turning that magic into kindness. 💫

👉All proceeds are going to Ronald McDonald House.

We’re so proud of her — and inspired by the reminder that even in the hardest seasons, we can still choose to build, to hope, and to believe in magic. 💛✨

05/28/2025

It’s not too late to register and make a difference in Kai’s life.

Columbus Academy has been kind enough to host an event today from 5 PM to 8 PM at their campus in Gahanna Ohio. If you have not yet registered to receive your kit, this would be the absolute fastest way to get into the registry.

For many of us, we would never have a chance to truly save someone’s life as long as we live. This simple step gives you that chance. All we need is that one person out of so many to be a match for Kaia. You could be that person and give her a second chance of life.

05/08/2025

This amazing 8 year old made a video for Kaia and all other kids desperately looking for a match. Register today to receive a cheek swab. If you’ve already registered, get that swab done and send it back. Just by entering the registry, you could be giving someone like Kaia that one in 1 million chance. Thank you Juliette Leone and the Leone family for thinking of us.

Just visit https://my.bethematch.org/s/join if you are between the ages of 18-40 and get your
Cheek swab. No obligation to donate. You may never be called. If you are lucky enough to be a match with someone donation as a simple as giving blood at your local hospital. No painful surgeries, no general anesthesia. Just a simple IV, 30 minutes of your time And a chance to save a life.

You can also text “teamkaia” to 61474 to register

Courtney Kauh Courtney Kauh MD