In general to use a clay clouche, you soak the whole thing (bottom
and lid) in water for 1 hour, take it out of the water, put your
dough in, cover with lid and let it rise. Then you slide the whole
thing into a preheated oven (usually at least 400 F). The water
soaked into the pot provides enough steam to the bread to form a
marvelous crust. I use to have one of these, but it got busted when
we moved a couple years ago, and they are pricey enough that I
haven't been able to buy another one, but it did make remarkable bread.
If you would like more specific instructions, contact King Arthur
Flour by telephone. They sell these, and they know how they are to be used.
Roxanne