Place the yeast and salt in a large bowl.

Add the warm water to the bowl.

Add all the flour to the bowl with the wet ingredients.

Mix until all ingredients are just combined.

Mix at a higher speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute as a quick knead (or knead by hand for 1 minute).

Transfer the dough to a very large bowl.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or other non-porous cover (not airtight).

Let the dough sit at room temperature for about 1½ hours, or until it has doubled in size.

At this point, you can place the dough in the refrigerator for up to a week or week-and-a-half, or proceed to bake immediately.

When ready to bake, place an enameled Dutch oven with its lid into a 450°F (232°C) oven to preheat.

Dust the dough with flour.

Grab half of the dough and cut it off with a serrated knife.

Using well-floured hands, gently shape the dough into a ball.

Place the shaped dough ball on a piece of parchment paper resting on a cookie sheet or in a small round skillet for shaping assistance.

Dust the top of the dough ball with more flour.

Let the shaped dough sit on the counter for 30 minutes if baking on the same day it was made.

Let the shaped dough sit on the counter for 1 hour if the dough was refrigerated.

Carefully slash the top of the loaf with a serrated knife.

Transfer the loaf, using the edges of the parchment paper, into the hot Dutch oven.

Replace the lid on the Dutch oven.

Cook for 15 to 17 minutes with the lid on.

Remove the lid from the Dutch oven.

Continue to cook for another 15 to 17 minutes, or until the loaf is a golden brown.

Remove the baked loaf from the Dutch oven.

Transfer the loaf to a cooling rack.

Allow the bread to cool for 30 to 60 minutes before cutting.