lodge cast iron

Got a 5 quart Lodge pre-seasoned Dutch Oven arriving from Amazon (best price, no shipping fee!) solely for "My Bread" recipe use. Did the bread before in vintage Le Crueset lidded pot: bread turned out exactly as represented, but pot bottom less than happy with temps 475+. So for those of you who have trod this path before me with Lodge cast iron, do you have any tips that will make my baking trouble free? For instance, I'm wondering if the pot will off-gas on first use, so maybe I should heat it up the first time sans dough? All thoughts appreciated. Mike in Maine