Add the flour, yeast, and salt to a large mixing bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until the yeast and salt are evenly dispersed.

Pour in 1½ cups water with a measuring cup and stir with the wooden spoon until a shaggy, sticky dough forms and no dry flour remains; the dough should look rough and feel tacky.

Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a lid and leave it at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours so the dough slowly rises and develops bubbles.

After the rise, remove the cover and look for a dough that has expanded, with a surface dotted with bubbles and a jiggly, airy feel when you gently shake the bowl.

Lay a sheet of parchment paper on the counter and dust it lightly with flour using your fingers.

Sprinkle a little flour around the edges of the dough in the bowl, then use your hand or a spatula to gently loosen it and tip it out onto the floured parchment.

With lightly floured hands, pull the edges of the dough toward the center to form a rough ball, then flip the dough so the smooth side faces up.

Slide your hands around the dough, tucking it under gently to create surface tension and a round shape, keeping handling light so you do not squeeze out the gas.

Cover the dough on the parchment loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest at room temperature for 40 minutes so it puffs slightly.

About 20 minutes into this rest, place the empty Dutch oven with its lid on in the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F so the pot becomes very hot.

When the dough is ready, carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven with oven mitts and set it on a heat-safe surface.

Lift the dough by holding the edges of the parchment paper and lower the paper and dough together into the hot Dutch oven.

Cover the Dutch oven with the lid and place it back into the oven on the middle rack, then bake covered at 450°F for 30 minutes so the dough steams and rises.

After 30 minutes, remove the lid with oven mitts and continue baking the loaf uncovered for 15 minutes until the crust turns deep golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

Take the Dutch oven out of the oven with oven mitts, then lift the loaf out by the parchment edges and place it on a rack or cutting board to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing so the crumb sets.