Instructions:
1. **Combine Dry Ingredients:** In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast.
2. **Add Water:** Pour in the warm water and mix with a wooden spoon or your hands until a shaggy, sticky dough forms. Don’t worry about it being perfectly smooth; lumps are fine.
3. **First Rise (Overnight):** Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature (ideally around 70-75°F or 21-24°C) for 12-18 hours. The longer it sits, the more flavor it develops. The dough should be bubbly and nearly doubled in size.
4. **Prepare for Baking:** The next day, about 30 minutes before you’re ready to bake, place a 6-8 quart Dutch oven (with its lid) in your oven and preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
5. **Shape the Dough:** Lightly flour your work surface and gently scrape the dough out of the bowl onto the floured surface. Fold the edges of the dough towards the center a few times to create a rough ball. Don’t overwork the dough.
6. **Second Rise (Optional):** You can let the dough rest, covered with a clean kitchen towel, for another 15-30 minutes while the Dutch oven preheats, but this step is optional.
7. **Bake (Covered):** Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven. Uncover it. Gently transfer the dough, seam-side up or down (it doesn’t really matter for this recipe), into the hot Dutch oven. Cover with the lid and return to the oven.
8. **Bake (Uncovered):** Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on. Then, remove the lid and bake for another 15-25 minutes, or until the crust is deeply golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 200-210°F (93-99°C).
9. **Cool:** Carefully remove the bread from the Dutch oven and place it on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. This is crucial for a perfectly textured crumb.
Short Tips:
* **Don’t rush the rise:** The long, slow fermentation is key to the flavor and texture of this bread.
* **Use warm water, not hot:** Water that’s too hot can kill the yeast.
* **Avoid over-flouring:** A sticky dough is a happy dough for no-knead bread.
* **Don’t skip the cooling:** Slicing hot bread can make it gummy. Patience is a virtue here!
* **Experiment with flours:** While all-purpose works great, you can try mixing in some whole wheat or bread flour for different textures and flavors.
