• Add 2 cups warm water, 2 tsp salt, and 2 ¼ tsp instant yeast to a bowl and whisk until the yeast is mostly dissolved.
• Add 3 cups freshly milled flour and stir until a shaggy dough forms. The dough should be a little on the wet side, but still able to come together slightly. If it feels soupy, add a small amount of flour; if it feels stiff or dry, add a bit more water. This dough should be wetter than typical bread dough - fresh milled flour is thirsty and will absorb moisture as it rests.
• Cover with a towel and set aside.

Stretch & Folds

• Set a timer for 20 minutes. Gently lift one side of the dough up, then fold it over toward the center. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat until all four sides have been stretched and folded. The dough may tear easily at first - just stretch it as far as it will go without forcing it. Cover the dough again.
• Set timer for another 20 minutes. Repeat the stretch and folds. Cover.
• Set timer for another 20 minutes. Repeat the stretch and folds. Cover again.
• Set timer for the final 20 minutes. Repeat the stretch and folds. At this point, the dough should feel more elastic and stretchy, with less stickiness, though it will still feel slightly wet. If the dough is still tearing easily, continue stretch and folds every 20 minutes until the dough becomes more elastic and cohesive.

Shaping

• After all the stretch and folds are done, cover it with a plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled (about 30-60 minutes).
• While the dough rises, place your Dutch oven in the oven and preheat to 450°F. You want the Dutch oven to be very hot when we add the dough to it.
• Once the dough has doubled, lightly flour your work surface and gently turn the dough out. Lightly flour your hands (the dough will still be tacky). Fold the edges toward the center to create a seam. Flip the dough seam-side down and gently tuck the bottom edges under to create surface tension across the top of the loaf.

Baking

• Place the shaped dough onto parchment paper and carefully transfer it into the hot Dutch oven. Cover with the lid and bake at 450°F for 40 minutes.
• Remove the lid and bake for an additional 10 minutes, until the crust is golden brown..
• Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let it cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing, otherwise, it will become gummy.