In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt and yeast until combined. Add warm (not hot) water and the sourdough starter to the bowl and mix until no dry flour remains—don’t worry about making it perfect. The dough will be shaggy, and that’s totally fine. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let it rest for 15 minutes.

Stretch and fold dough with a wet hand for 30 seconds. Grab a side, pull up and wiggle 3-5 times to loosen the dough then fold over the top of the dough. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let it rest for 15 minutes. Repeat stretching.

After the initial rest, cover the bowl and let the dough sit at room temperature for 3.5 hours. I usually mix this up at breakfast and let it rise until lunch! The dough should double in size and look bubbly on top.

Once the dough has risen, gently repeat the stretching twice more, 15 minutes apart. The dough will be sticky, so use wet hands.

Spray a large piece of parchment paper with olive oil. Place the dough into a bowl lined with the oiled parchment paper. Let the dough rest for 3 hours.

When ready to bake, sprinkle a dusting of flour over the top of the dough. Use a bread lame or very sharp knife to score the top of the bread to release steam and avoid the loaf tearing while baking.

Place a Dutch oven with a lid inside the oven and preheat to 450°F (230°C). Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven and transfer the dough to the pot (I like to use parchment paper to avoid burns). Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes. Then, remove the lid and bake for an additional 12-15 minutes, until the crust is golden and crisp.

Let the bread cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing. This step is crucial to let the crumb set and to avoid a gummy texture!