Preheating the oven before preparing the loaf for baking is, of course, essential. You also need to pre-heat your cloche to be as hot as it can be. If you don’t have the oven hot enough, you don’t get that all important oven spring. So what bakers tend to do is set the temperature of the oven high, and then drop it slightly after the loaf goes in.
My instructions to use a cloche, is because steam is critical factor. A cloche is essential for keeping steam in the oven. Many bakers are put off by the cost of a cloche, but it’s an investment that will last for years and will make a huge difference to the quality of your baking. A cloche, or something that holds the steam around the loaf in the early stages of baking, is a wonderful tool to have. If you don’t keep a steamy environment around your bread while it has that oven spring, the crust will solidify quickly and crumb is then unable to expand. This often results in heavier, more solid loaves.
You can use a casserole, but against my advice. I burned myself so badly once that I wince just thinking about it. Casseroles do the same job as a cloche but with high sides it is difficult to get your dough in and score.
