Stir together the flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add water and stir to form a rough, shaggy lump of dough. (Yeah, it is ugly right now.) Cover with plastic wrap and leave alone at least 12 hours. (I usually start this about 3pm and start baking it about 3pm the next day.)

It should now be puffy and speckled with bubbles and holes. Turn the dough onto a well floured cotton towel (not terry cloth). Fold the ends of   the dough to the middle. Flip it over, make sure you have enough flour on it and fold the towel over it like a little baby. Let your baby rest for at least 2 hours.

Thirty minutes before baking the bread put a covered ceramic, glass or metal pot, similar to a Dutch oven, into the oven, lid and all, and heat the oven to 450 degrees.  (I use a cast iron dutch oven. Make sure your pot is at least 4 inches deep. After the pot has heated for 30 minutes, remove it carefully from the oven using pot holders. DUH! Remove the lid.

Uncover your baby (dough) and plop her into the pot. Cover. Return pot to oven and bake for 30 minutes. Now remove the lid and bake for 10-15 minutes more. Bread will sound hollow when thumped if it is done. Remove pot from oven and enjoy.