In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt and yeast. Pour in warm water and stir mixture with a wooden spoon (or with your hands, best tool in the kitchen!) until a shaggy ball forms. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 12 - 18 hours at room temperature. The dough will double in size and have tiny bubbles.
Preheat oven to 450° F. Once the oven has reached 450°, place a 5 or 6 quart quart cast iron pot covered with a lid into the preheated oven. Heat pot for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, turn dough out onto a heavily floured cloth towel then shape dough into a ball. Push any seams on the underside of the ball. Cover dough with cloth and allow to rest while pot is heating.
Carefully remove pot from oven. With floured hands, carefully drop dough into hot pot (you DO NOT need to grease the pot) cover with lid, then immediately return pot to oven and bake 30 minutes (at 450°).
After 30 minutes, remove lid from pot and bake uncovered for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow bread to cool on a cooling rack. Once completely cooled, bread stores well in an open paper bag--it helps the bread maintain it’s crisp crust.
Notes
Yeast: Instant yeast works best, but active dry yeast works too. If using active dry yeast, rising times may be slightly longer (look for dough to double in size).Storing no knead bread: Keep in a paper bag or bread bag for up to three days. Best when eaten within one day of baking.Suggested tools:
Cast iron dutch oven - the weight and heat of a dutch oven allows bread to bake and create a crusty exterior. This is the one I own and love it.
Kitchen scale - weighs the ingredients for exact measurements.
High altitude adjustments: Dough rises more quickly at high altitude due to less air pressure. Here are the changes I made in Denver, CO (altitude 5,280 ft/1,609 m). At high altitude use 1/4 teaspoon yeast. You will likely need a little more water since flour is dryer at high altitude. (Note: This recipe was written for sea level).