Cast-iron skillets are great for baking bread, too. Shaking in a little cornmeal will help keep it from sticking. The big cast-iron dutch ovens are even better, though: the lid keeps in moisture, and the resulting steam is good for the crust. The enameled ones are easier to clean (and ideal for soup). You can probably find a knock-off Le Crueset-style pot for $60, give or take.
The easiest way to clean them is with a little kosher salt. It's quite abrasive.
I've got a similar size pan. Since they cook up quickly it's not hard to make a couple if you have to feed more people. I whipped out six the other day to feed a bunch of people.
Also, I use corn meal on the bottom of the crust so it slides nicely from my cutting board to the pan. Other than that I think it's pretty hard to screw up.
