Not a dumb question at all, Janet. Cover means keep air out with something you can see through, to keep the top of the dough from drying out. There are a lot of ways to do this. Greased plastic is usually a good idea; it doesn't need to be tight unless you want to see it expand as the carbon dioxide in the fermenting dough creates a bulge. A baking sheet is fine over the top of the pan, as long as you set a timer so you don't forget it. If you have a very big mixing bowl that fits over the pan, that works, too. Susan.

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