Toast the pecans. Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Spread pecans on a tray and toast 6–8 minutes until fragrant. Cool completely to prevent warming the dough.

Autolyse the dough. In a large bowl, mix bread flour, whole wheat flour, and 300 g of the water until no dry spots remain. The dough will be shaggy. Cover and rest 30–45 minutes. This hydrates the flour for better gluten and flavor.

Mix in starter and salt. Add the sourdough starter and squish it into the dough with your hand. Sprinkle in the salt and the remaining water as needed, a little at a time, until the dough is soft and slightly tacky but not soupy. Mix 2–3 minutes to combine.

Bulk ferment with folds. Cover and let rest at warm room temperature (75–78°F / 24–26°C is ideal) for 2.5–4 hours. Perform 3–4 sets of stretch-and-folds during the first 90 minutes, every 30 minutes: wet your hand, grab an edge of dough, stretch up, and fold over. Rotate the bowl and repeat 3–4 times per set.

Add cranberries and pecans. After the second set of folds, gently spread the dough into a rough rectangle in the bowl. Sprinkle on cranberries, pecans, and orange zest if using. Roll up and fold the dough to trap the mix-ins. Finish remaining sets of folds to distribute evenly.

Check for readiness. By the end of bulk, the dough should feel lighter, smoother, and show some bubbles along the edges. It should have risen about 50–75%, not doubled. If sluggish, give it another 30–45 minutes.

Pre-shape. Lightly flour the surface. Turn out the dough and use a bench scraper to tuck and round it into a loose ball. Rest uncovered 15–20 minutes to relax the gluten.

Final shape. For a round loaf, lightly flour the top, flip it over, and fold the bottom third up, sides in, and top down. Roll into a tight ball, creating surface tension. For an oval, shape into a batard with a gentle but firm roll. Avoid tearing the dough.

Proof. Place seam-side up in a well-floured banneton or a bowl lined with a heavily floured towel. Cover. Proof at room temp 45–90 minutes until slightly puffy, then chill 8–16 hours in the fridge. The cold proof boosts flavor and makes scoring easier.

Preheat your oven. Place a Dutch oven with lid inside and preheat to 475°F (245°C) for at least 30 minutes. If baking on a stone, preheat that with a steam tray.

Score the loaf. Turn the dough onto parchment, seam-side down. Brush off excess flour. Using a sharp lame or knife, make a confident 1/4-inch deep slash across the top. This guides the oven spring.

Bake with steam. Carefully lower dough into the hot Dutch oven. Cover and bake 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 450°F (232°C), remove lid, and bake 18–25 more minutes until deep golden-brown with a blistered crust. Internal temp should be around 208–210°F (97–99°C).

Cool completely. Transfer to a rack and wait at least 1 hour before slicing. This sets the crumb and keeps it from becoming gummy.