How to make crusty dutch oven bread

In a large bowl, sift your flour and salt.

Add your yeast to the flour and salt and stir until evenly dispersed throughout.

Add your lukewarm water to the flour, salt, and yeast and stir until well incorporated.

Your dough should look something like this! It will be sticky and messy looking - this is what you want :)

Now comes the part where you have to be patient! Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and set on the counter for 12-18 HOURS. (I write the time on mine so I know when I can begin baking!)

While your dough is resting, grab your Dutch oven. I LOVE my Lodge cast iron 5qt Dutch oven and would highly recommend it! You'll want to use a smaller Dutch oven if you want a taller, domed bread.

Look at all of those bubbles after only 2 hours!

18 hours later and ready to bake!

Preheat oven to 450*. Once heated, put your Dutch oven inside so that it can also preheat to 450* (15 minutes). While heating, heavily flour your work surface and knead your dough into a ball.

Place your dough onto a sheet of parchment paper for easy lifting and carefully set inside of your Dutch oven. Put the lid on top and bake for 30 minutes. (I like to cut an 'X' on the top of my bread)

After 30 minutes of baking, remove the Dutch oven lid and place the bread back in the oven for 15 more minutes to finish baking and get golden brown and crusty!

Remove from the oven and let sit in the Dutch oven for 5-10 minutes until it cools slightly.

I mean, look how beautifully rustic this bread is! Your kitchen will smell like a professional bakery :)

Once slightly cooled, slice your bread and enjoy! I absolutely love this crusty on the outside/chewy on the inside bread and eat it with sandwiches, eggs, dips, pastas, and more! Enjoy!