If I prepare the dough ahead of time, will the bread turn out just as fresh?
Yes, it’ll be close to fresh. You can prepare the dough ahead of time, and for a week or so, it’ll keep fresh. During this time, you can take it out of the fridge, roll out some balls of dough and make yourself some fresh bread. And then you can place the rough right back and relish their goodness later during the week.