In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast and salt. Add the water and stir until blended. The dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rest for 12-18 hours at room temperature, around 70 degrees.

Flour your work surface and dump out your dough. Sprinkle with a bit more flour and fold the dough over on itself a couple times. Gently shape it into a ball. Coat a cotton towel generously with flour (not terry cloth) and place dough down on the towel. Dust with more flour and cover with another towel. Let rise for 2 hours.

At least 30 minutes before dough is finished rising, heat oven to 450 degrees with a heavy covered pot inside (cast iron, enamel or ceramic). When dough is ready, carefully remove lid and place dough in the ungreased hot pot. Don’t worry, it will look like a big doughy mess, but all is well. Cover pan with the hot lid and bake for 30 minutes. Remove lid and bake another 10-15 minutes until loaf is browned. Remove from pot and allow to cool on wire rack.