Does it not weld itself to the pot and need a soaking to clean?
Not in the slightest.
When I first began using the dutch oven method I used to drop the dough straight in from the banneton but that caused problems with degassing and it was rare to get it in neatly. I then came up with the idea of transferring it onto a silicone baking sheet and then using that as a carrier to carefully lower the dough into the pot.
Here’s a series of pictures showing what I do. (Click the thumbnail for the larger version.)
Dough ready to transfer:
Silicone sheet over the dough, ready to flip:
Turn over slowly and remove banneton:
Score (if desired):
Lower gently into the hot pot:
Pour about 50ml of water between the silicone and the pot. This creates a lovely, instant steam bath that allows the dough to rise for longer before forming a crust.
Get the lid straight on and bung it in the oven:
Check it after 20 minutes and if it’s risen as much as possible, remove the lid and continue to bake for the allotted time:
The top can end up darker than the rest so I usually take it out of the pot and bake the last five minutes naked on the stone.
Even without the silicone sheet, my bread always came out of the pot cleanly with no mess and no sticking. I guess that’s the enamel doing its job. The silicone means you’ll always be able to lift out straight out anyway.
Sorry for the very long reply to a simple question.