Combine yeast, flour, salt, olive oil, and lukewarm water in a bread machine or bowl; if using a bread machine add ingredients in that order and run one cycle, otherwise mix until a dough forms.

Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise until doubled.

Preheat oven to 450 F (232 C) with the Dutch oven (DO) inside; once at temperature let the DO heat an additional 10 minutes to ensure it’s very hot.

If the Dutch oven is not well seasoned, add a little oil to the pot before heating.

Drizzle a bit of olive oil on your hands, shape the dough into a ball, place it into the hot Dutch oven, and cover with the lid.

Bake covered for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake an additional 15–20 minutes until the crust is deep golden and crisp.

Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and cool on a rack before slicing.