Step 1

Place the flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl. Stir in water, adding a little bit more (if necessary) to bring the dough together. Cover and leave to rise at room temperature until the dough has doubled in size (about 18 hours). It will spread out in the bowl and look bubbly.

Step 2

Place a piece of parchment paper on the counter and dust with flour. Gently nudge the dough from the bowl onto the parchment. Shape the dough into a loose ball by gently folding in the edges. Allow the dough to rest (covered) and continue rising for about 30-60 more minutes.

Step 3

While the dough rests, preheat the oven to 475 degrees F and place a 4-6-quart cast iron Dutch oven (with the lid ON) into the oven to heat up.

Step 4

Once the dough has rested for 30-60 minutes, carefully remove the hot pot from the oven. Take off the lid and place the parchment paper and dough into the pot. Cover the pot and put it back in the oven to bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the cover and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes (or until the loaf has turned a deep brown color).

Step 5

Allow the bread to cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving.