Hi Elizabeth! The technique in this article is slightly different versus the recipe, every baker has their own technique! In the recipe once shaped, the dough is placed into the baking vessel after a 15-minute rest on the bench so a banneton or proofing basket of some kind isn't needed if baking the bread in that manner. Leaving the loaf covered for longer will result in a lighter colored loaf, so it's totally baker's preference here. We hope this helps to clarify and happy baking! 

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