Preheat the oven to 300°F (148°C).

Make the garlic confit: Place the garlic cloves in a 9-inch loaf pan, and cover completely with the olive oil. Cover the pan with foil, and bake for about 1 hour, or until the garlic cloves are deep golden brown and tender. Set aside to cool. Drain; save the oil for another use.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast until evenly combined.

Add the garlic cloves and water; use a rubber spatula to stir until the dough comes together.

With the spatula, fold the dough around the edges of the bowl toward the center, rotating the bowl each time and folding a total of 8 times. Cover with a kitchen towel, and let rest in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until almost doubled in size.

Place the Dutch oven and lid in the oven, and preheat to 450˚F (230˚C) for 30 minutes.

Lightly flour a clean work surface and your hands. Carefully peel the dough out of the bowl and onto the floured surface. Flip over and carefully brush away excess flour. Fold the edges of the dough towards the center 8 times, then flip over the dough, and transfer to a piece of parchment paper.

Use a sharp knife to score the bread with an “X,” which will allow steam to escape.

Carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven, and use the parchment to lift the bread into the pot. Cover with the lid, and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the lid, and bake for about 25 more minutes, or until the bread is golden brown.

Carefully slide the bread out of the pot and onto a wire rack. Remove the parchment paper, and let the bread cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.