Can this dough be frozen prior to baking? Or better to bake and freeze the loaves?

I recommend baking first and then freezing. Either slice first and freeze for later individual slice use, or freeze the whole loaf and reheat it in a 350°F oven for ~15 minutes. It will be nearly as good as fresh. Some higher hydration breads actually get an improvement in the crispness of the crust from this treatment. This recipe is borderline high-hydration so I think you'll be pleased with the result.