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I never used a banneton before, so this has been somewhat of a learning process. You don't need the cloth cover unless you're trying to not have the nice pattern in your dough. After 1st proof (it proves the yeast is active) and shaping the dough, seam side goes up in the banneton. You can mist the banneton lightly before sprinkling the semolina if you want it to stick easier, then drop in your shaped dough. Don't forget to have your oven and baking stone to temperature as soon as you start the banneton 2nd stage proof. After the 2nd rise is finished, you can dump the contents of the banneton out onto a sheet of aluminum foil or parchment paper on your work surface and razor the dough. If you sprinkled sufficient semolina, the finished dough will release from the banneton easily. Transfer the parchment or aluminum foil right to the baking stone in the oven and cover your proofed dough with a deep dish roasting pan or aluminum pan. Works like a dutch oven to keep in the natural steam for the first 20 minutes of the bake. Then remove the pan and let the crust develop for the last 15 to 20 minutes. Let the banneton air dry completely and brush out the inside with a toothbrush. It gets everything and leaves the banneton perfect for the next usage. Happy baking!