Homemade Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

I have been on the hunt for a Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread recipe as a way to bump up the nutrition in our bread and also cut down on cost. But the WW bread recipe in my bread maker cook book produced a loaf that was too soft, and the smallest piece I could cut without smashing the bread was about 3/4 inch wide; way to much bread for a kids sandwich. Then while reading Marilyn Shannon's wonderful book Fertility Cycles and Nutrition I came across her recipe, and had perfect results when I tried it in our bread maker! 

Here is the bread, you can see how thin I was able to cut it without any trouble or special guides, and the taste is wonderful, though like all homemade wheat bread it is best if eaten in the first two days.

Here are two of the satisfied customers!

Now for the recipe; I did change a few thing, but the important ingredient is gluten; you don't want to leave it out! That is what gives the whole wheat the extra stretch and strength to be cut thin like white bread. I use Vital Wheat Gluten because that's what I found at Publix. 

This recipe is for a two pound loaf. I bake it up every few days, so to save time I measure out all the dry ingredients (except salt) for a loaf into a bag and stash a few bags of my "loaf mix" in the freezer. On the day I need to make bread I take out a bag and let it come to room tempeture (1-2 hr.) then add it to the wet ingredients in the bread pan and bake. If a two pound loaf is more than your family can eat in two days, extra dough or baked bread can be kept in the fridge or freezer, then you will not need to bake it as often.

 Marilyn Shannon's Bread-Machine Whole Wheat Bread  

•  1 1/2 cup Warm Water
• 2 tsp Salt 
• 2 tbsp Butter 
• 3-4 tbsp Honey 
• 3 3/4 cup Hard Organic Whole Wheat Flour
• 2 tbsp Gluten 
• 1 tbsp Nutritional-Yeast 
• 1-2 tbsp Granular Lecithin
• 2 tsp Granular Baking Yeast 

Place all the ingredients in the pan in the order they are listed. 

Bake on the Basic Loaf program, or the Insta-Bread program if using Rapid Rise Yeast.

When the bread is finished let it cool then cut into slices about 1/2 inch thick.

Store it in a bag on the counter or in the fridge, and enjoy!