"For anyone and everyone struggling with these hard times, here is a basic bread recipe that will keep your bellies full as well as your wallets. (From: http://www.azcentral.com/)"

• 3 cups lukewarm water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast
• 1 1/2 tablespoons coarse salt
• 6 1/2 cups flour

Directions:

Warm water slightly. It should be a little warmer than body temperature.

Add yeast and salt to the water in a 5-quart bowl. Do not worry about dissolving all the yeast.

Mix in the flour, but kneading is unnecessary. Add all the flour at once, measuring it in with dry-ingredient measuring cups, by gently scooping up flour, then sweeping the top level with a knife or spatula. Don't press down into the flour as you scoop. Mix with a wooden spoon until the mixture is uniform. If you're mixing by hand and it becomes too difficult to incorporate all the flour with the spoon, reach into the mixing bowl with very wet hands and press the mixture together. Do not knead. It isn't necessary. You're finished when everything is uniformly moist without dry patches. This step is done in minutes and will yield a dough that is wet and loose enough to conform to the shape of its container.

Allow to rise. Cover with a lid (not airtight) that fits well to the container you're using. Allow the mixture to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse, or at least flattens on the top, about 2 hours, depending on the room's temperature and the initial water temperature. Longer rising times, up to about 5 hours, will not harm the result. You can use a portion of the dough anytime after this period. Fully refrigerated wet dough is less sticky and easier to work with than dough at room temperature. So the first time you try this method, it's best to refrigerate the dough overnight, or at least 3 hours, before shaping a loaf.

On baking day: Do not knead the dough, but shape a loaf in 30 to 60 seconds. First, prepare a wooden surface by sprinkling it liberally with cornmeal to prevent the loaf from sticking. Sprinkle the surface of your refrigerated dough with flour. Pull up and use a serrated knife to cut off a 1-pound, or grapefruit-size, piece of dough. Hold the mass of dough in your hands and, if it sticks, add flour until the dough no longer sticks to your hand. Gently stretch the surface of the dough on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. Most of the dusting flour will fall off. The bottom of the loaf may appear to be a collection of bunched ends, but they will flatten out during resting and baking. The dough ball should be smooth and cohesive and take no more than 30 to 60 seconds to shape. Place the shaped ball on the wooden surface. Allow the uncovered loaf to rest about 40 minutes.

Place a baking stone on the lowest rack of the wood-oven. Place an empty broiler tray for the water bath on any other shelf, making sure it does not interfere with the rising bread.

Kindle the fire to 450 degrees 20 minutes before baking.

Dust top of loaf liberally with flour, which allows a knife to slash through the dough without sticking. Use a serrated bread knife to slash a 1/4-inch-deep cross or tic-tac-toe pattern onto the top.

After 20 minutes of preheating, the bread is ready for baking, even if the internal temperature has yet to reach 450 degrees. Slide the loaf off the wood surface onto the preheated baking stone using a quick, forward jerking motion. Pour 1 cup hot water into the broiler tray and close oven door to trap steam. Bake about 30 minutes, or until the crust is nicely browned and firm to the touch. The loaf will crackle, or "sing," when initially exposed to room-temperature air. Allow to cool for best flavor, texture and easy slicing.

Store remaining dough in the ice-box in your lidded container and use during the next 14 days.