Instructions

1. Make the dough: In a large bowl combine the flour, yeast and salt. Add 1-1/2 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let the dough rest 15-18 hours at room temperature. The dough will be ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles.
2. Lightly flour a work surface and place the dough on it. Sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest about 15 minutes.
3. Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Sprinkle flour over a large piece of parchment, then place the dough seam-side down on the parchment and dust with more flour. Cover with another piece of parchment and let rise for 2-1/2 hours. When it is ready, the dough will have doubled in size and will not spring back when poked with a finger.
4. At least 30 minutes before the dough is ready, heat the oven to 450F. Place a 4-quart heavy covered pot (I used enameled cast-iron, but you could also use Pyrex or ceramic) in the oven as it heats. When the dough is ready, carefully remove the pot from the oven. Carefully flip the dough into the pot so that it’s seam-side up. (If it looks like a mess, that’s ok — shake the pan once or twice if the dough is unevenly distributed.)
5. Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for another 15-30 minutes, until the loaf is browned nicely (… maybe check on yours once or twice, to avoid my mistake) and the loaf sounds hollow when you knock on it. Cool on a rack.