• In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, yeast, salt, and water with a wooden spoon or dough whisk. The dough will be very lumpy, but there shouldn't be any dry fly left. If so, add a bit more warm water.
• Cover the bowl or container loosely with a lid and allow it to rest at room temperature for 2 hours. It will double in size and rise if your yeast is fresh.
• Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours so that it’s easier to work with.

When you're ready to bake a loaf:

• Line a Dutch oven or cast iron skillet with some parchment paper.
• Dust the surface of your dough with flour. Grab a 1-pound (grapefruit-sized) piece of dough. If the dough is too sticky to work with, dust with more flour and use more flour or less liquid the next time you make your dough.

  Tip: If dough is stuck to your hands, put extra flour in your hands and rub them together over your dough bowl until the dough falls off.
• Gently stretch the top surface of the dough around to the bottom, rotating as you go. The goal is to get the top as smooth as you can.
• Set the dough ball onto the parchment paper, and let it rest uncovered for 40 minutes. After 20 minutes, preheat your oven to 450℉. If you desire, dust the top of your dough with flour and slash it with a ¼-inch-deep cross, scallop, or hashtag pattern. This helps the dough to rise and expand during baking.
• When your oven is heated and your dough has rested for 40 minutes, slide it into the center of your oven.
• Bake at 450℉ for 30 minutes, or until the outside is browned and firm to the touch.
• When your artisan loaf is fresh out of the oven, pull up on the parchment paper to remove the loaf and set it onto a wire rack to cool evenly. Try to resist the temptation to cut right into it. The texture is better if you let it rest for at least 15 minutes first.