It's so easy! And so much better than bread machine bread. Not that we don't love bread machine bread too- but our kitchen is too small for it, so I've been playing with not needing it.
Draw 1 1/2 cup warm water.
Dissolve 1/4 teaspoon active yeast in 3 tablespoons of warm water. Add the rest of the water to the mixture.
Beat in 3 cups of flour, and salt to taste, and stir till mixed.
Cover, and let sit for 12-18 hours at room temperature (at least 65 degrees F).
After 12-18 hours, the dough will rise considerably, and will be wet and full of bubbles. Tip it out onto a well-floured surface, and fold it twice (and only twice!). Then let it rest under a pot or bowl for 15 minutes. This is enough time for you to find corn meal or more flour and wash your hands and take the dog outside.
Once you're back in, move the dough onto a cloth (not a towel) that has been sprinkled with corn meal. Sprinkle some more corn meal on top of the dough, and then fold the cloth over the dough. Let sit for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, take a cast iron pot and lid, and put it in the oven at 450 degrees. Once the oven is preheated and the pot is hot, take the pot out of the oven (congratulations, you've cooked an empty pot!) Put the dough in the hot pot, and put the hot lid on the hot pot. Put the whole hot pot and lid and now dough into the oven.
Bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, take the lid off the pot, and bake for 10-15 more minutes until the bread is golden brown.
And there you go. Crusty, chewy, delicious bread for maybe 10 minutes work and clean-up.
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