Hi there, if you have the Emile Henry Cloche, you can preheat that particular pot for 30 minutes before transferring your loaf to the hot pot, but not all cloches are built for this type of use. For example, we don't recommend preheating this cloche empty. If you're worried about preheating your cloche, I would recommend transferring the loaf to the pot right before baking, and then putting the pot and bread in a preheated oven. When baking this way, I would remove the lid after 25 minutes rather than 20 minutes. Baking time might be a little longer with this baking method, but it should still work great. As far as the pizza stone goes, it does look like Maura bakes her loaf on a preheated steel as well, but I would say that part is optional. 

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