Step 1

The night before baking day, mix together the flour, salt and instant yeast.

Step 2

Add the water and mix with your hands until a shaggy ball forms and no dry bits of flour remain. Cover with plastic wrap or a second bowl and let sit to rise at room temperature overnight (at least 10 hours).

Step 3

In the morning, stretch and fold the dough. Using a wet hand, lifting a handful of dough from one side of the bowl, stretch upward, and cross over toward the opposite side of the bowl. Turn the bowl slightly and continue around the bowl until a tighter dough ball forms, about 10 times in total. Cover and let rise again until roughly doubled in size, about 2 hours.

Step 4

When dough is ready, gently transfer to a floured surface, being careful not to stretch the dough too much as you separate it from the bowl. Fold the sides of the dough inward, one at a time, overlapping the last fold each time. Then, bring the edges of the dough toward the center to create a rounder shape, and pinch together to seal.

Step 5

Gently flip the dough over so the seam-side is down, and use your hands to turn and tuck the sides of the dough downward to create a more even loaf and increase the surface tension.

Step 6

Crumple a sheet of parchment paper into a ball and then smooth back out– this will prevent the parchment from rolling up on itself. Transfer the dough to the parchment paper and cover one last time to rest as you preheat the oven.

Step 7

Set a dutch oven with the lid on into the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F for one hour.

Step 8

After an hour, carefully remove the preheated dutch oven from the oven, and place on a heat-safe surface. Remember, the pot and lid are both very hot. Use the parchment paper to transfer the dough to the dutch oven, cover with the lid, and bake for 30 minutes.

Step 9

Remove the lid and bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until browned as desired.

Step 10

Remove the bread from the dutch oven, and let cool on a cooling rack until fully cooled, at least 4 hours.