Free Willy 2’s Second Bake — He’s Getting Better Every Time

Free Willy 2 is officially on a roll. This is his second whole wheat sourdough boule, and if this bake is any indication, we are absolutely getting the hang of this. He came out of the fridge, got fed, rose beautifully all day, and then turned into this gorgeous loaf — and I could not be more proud of my little whole wheat starter.

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If you’ve been following along, you know that Free Willy 2’s first bake was already a win — Jason loved it, and it was the whole wheat boule we’d been working toward for his Mediterranean diet. But this second bake? I think we leveled up.

The Feed and Rise

I pulled Free Willy 2 out of the fridge the morning before bake day, fed him to 100 grams, then added 210 grams of water and 200 grams of King Arthur 100% Whole Wheat Flour. One thing I’ve learned: always add a little extra water when you’re working with a whole wheat starter. Whole wheat absorbs more than all-purpose, so bumping up the hydration just a little keeps things moving the way they should. Then I watched him rise all day — and he did not disappoint. You can see him here at peak activity, absolutely bubbling away in his Weck Tulip Jar .

The Dough and the Cold Proof

Once he peaked, I mixed up the dough and did my six stretch-and-fold pulls, then put it in the fridge for an overnight cold proof. I didn’t get to film the whole process this time — life happens! — but I did get photos along the way. The cold proof is one of my favorite parts of the process now. You just set it and forget it, and let the fridge do the work while you sleep.

The Early Morning Bake

I got up before sunrise to get the loaf in the oven — which is genuinely new for me, but honestly? I didn’t hate it. There’s something kind of peaceful about the kitchen first thing in the morning with bread baking. I also tried some different scoring patterns on top this time, which was fun. I’m experimenting to see what different cuts do during the bake, and the results have been beautiful. King Arthur Baking’s sourdough guide has a great breakdown of how scoring affects the bake — it controls how the loaf expands in the oven and can dramatically affect the final shape and crust. Every bake is a little experiment.

The Hardest Part: Waiting

Free Willy 2 came out looking a little bigger and more domed than the first bake — which tells me the dough is getting the structure it needs to hold its shape. And the smell? Incredible. But sourdough has to rest for a full 12 hours after baking before you can slice into it, and that is always the hardest part. I got up early specifically so that when Jason got home from work that evening around 6:30, we could finally cut into it together. Worth every second of waiting.

More From the Sourdough Journey

• Free Willy 2 First Loaf — Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread — The first time Willie went into a loaf pan and came out as sandwich bread.
• Free Willy 2 Prep Day — Whole Wheat Sourdough — What prep day looks like once this routine is second nature.
• Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread Recipe — Jason’s loaf, written up as a full printable recipe card.

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Free Willy 2’s Second Bake — About Stephanie’s Sourdough Journey

This post is part of Stephanie’s Sourdough Journey — an ongoing series following Pearl (Stephanie’s established AP starter) and Free Willy 2 (a whole wheat starter converting to support Jason’s Mediterranean diet). Two starters, one kitchen, endless learning. Start from the beginning at Sourdough Day 1.