Free Willy 2’s First Bake — Whole Wheat Sourdough Reveal

Free Willy 2 baked his first loaf today. And y’all — I am thrilled. In the best possible way.

If you have been following this sourdough journey from the beginning, you know how long we have been working toward this moment. Willy and Nilly didn’t make it. Free Willy 2 rose from the ashes, got a boost from Sara’s gifted starter, and spent weeks on my counter proving himself. On March 31st he hit peak — popped the lid right off his Weck jar — and we mixed the dough, did six stretch and fold rounds, shaped a boule, and tucked it seam-side up into the banneton and into the fridge overnight. This morning, we baked. Jason finally got his whole wheat sourdough loaf. And it was really, really good.

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Here is what I want you to understand about baking with a Dutch oven: it is not subtle. This oven was at 500 degrees. The Dutch oven had been inside preheating for 45 minutes. When I lifted that lid to drop the dough in, the heat that came out was absolutely no joke. But that is exactly the point. That blast of heat is what gives sourdough its oven spring — that beautiful rise right at the start of baking — and the steam trapped inside the pot during the first 25 minutes is what creates that crackling, mahogany crust. You cannot rush it. You cannot do it at a lower temperature. The heat is the whole thing.

I scored the loaf before dropping it in. I will be honest with you: I had no idea what I was doing. I made a few cuts with my bread lame and hoped for the best. Turns out the scoring opened up beautifully — you can see those deep slashes in the photos — and they gave the loaf exactly the room it needed to expand. Beginner’s luck. I will take it.

The bake was 25 minutes with the lid on, then 20 minutes with the lid off. When I pulled it out I thought the bottom looked a little dark. But when I tapped it — that hollow sound that tells you a sourdough loaf is done — it sounded perfect. I had to let it cool and set on the rack for twelve hours before cutting into it. That is the hardest part of sourdough baking. You have to wait. If you cut it too soon, the crumb is still setting and it comes out gummy. Patience.

The crumb reveal was everything. Open, airy, with good hole structure — which is honestly impressive for a 100% whole wheat loaf. Whole wheat is heavier and denser than all-purpose flour by nature, so getting any kind of open crumb requires a well-developed starter and proper gluten development through those stretch and fold rounds. Free Willy 2 did his job.

And then came Jason.

This whole journey started because of him. He is on a Mediterranean diet and wanted real homemade whole grain bread. I have been feeding and babying this whole wheat starter for weeks specifically so he could have a loaf made with love, made from scratch, made for him. He took a bite on camera — and y’all, he said it was really good. He mentioned the chewy crust, said the texture reminded him of rye bread, and noted that there was no sweetener and it still tasted great.

Thank you Sara. Thank you Free Willy 2. And thank you to everyone who has followed this journey from Day 1. This is just the beginning.

The Recipe

This is The Baked Collective’s 4-ingredient 100% whole wheat sourdough recipe. Simple, honest, and it works.

Ingredients:

• 100g whole wheat sourdough starter (at peak — doubled, domed, passes the float test)
• 500g whole wheat flour
• 375g water (divided: 325g for mixing, 50g reserved for adding with the salt)
• 10g salt

Prep Day (Day 1):

• Mix starter and 325g water. Add flour and combine until no dry flour remains. Rest 30 minutes (autolyse).
• Add salt and remaining 50g water. Mix to incorporate.
• Perform 6 rounds of stretch and folds, 15–30 minutes apart.
• Rest dough on counter 20 minutes after final fold.
• Shape into a boule. Place seam-side up in a rice-flour-dusted banneton.
• Cover and refrigerate overnight (8–16 hours).

Bake Day (Day 2):

• Place Dutch oven inside oven and preheat to 500°F for at least 45 minutes.
• Remove dough from fridge. Turn out onto parchment paper.
• Score the top with a bread lame or sharp knife.
• Carefully lower dough (on parchment) into the screaming hot Dutch oven. Replace lid.
• Reduce oven to 450°F. Bake covered for 25 minutes.
• Remove lid. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes until deep golden brown.
• Remove from Dutch oven. Cool on wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.

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Free Willy 2’s First Bake — About the Sourdough Journey

The Sourdough Journey is Stephanie’s ongoing series documenting her adventures in sourdough — from her very first attempt at making a starter from scratch, through the dramatic highs and lows of Willy and Nilly, and now into a brand new chapter with two fresh starters and a feisty gifted starter from her friend Sara. One starter is whole wheat for her husband Jason’s Mediterranean diet. The other is an all-purpose starter ready to bake bread, pizza, crackers, and everything in between. The daily check-ins are behind us — now the real baking begins. Follow along at stephaniecooksforacrowd.com and come see what comes out of Stephanie’s oven next!