This is such a great suggestion! Like so many commenters, I dislike handling an awkward hot dutch oven. I tried this method last week, and while the loaf tasted wonderful, it had one aesthetic quirk I have a question about: I used the Jim Lahey no-knead sourdough recipe, which I've used a few times previously. In the past, I proofed the dough in a banneton, then flipped it into the heated dutch oven, at which point I'd slash it quickly with a lame, give it a quick spray of water, pop the top back on the dutch oven, and put it in the oven. The bread would not retain the banneton marks quite as well as the Extra Tangy Sourdough does, but otherwise it would look similar. With the cold start, I cross slashed the dough with a lame, then & re-cut the slashes even deeper with a knife, expecting that the slashes made before the final proof might "mend" more than slashes made right before baking. I also didn't spray any extra water on it. The final product had no "valleys" to the slashes at all-- the cross slash had filled in, and looked it looked like the dough had only superficial scratches. The dough had absolutely ballooned, and the top was perfectly rounded, with the cross mark looking like it had only been etched on the surface. Have you had this happen? When you use the cold-oven start, do you slash the dough at the beginning? Thanks for the help!

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