Machine True Whole Wheat Bread

This is the whole wheat bread recipe that came with my bread machine book. I think it's the best recipe I have made in my new bread machine yet. The appearance was rather uneven on the outside, but it rose very well and was extremely tasty. The texture was crusty on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. Bread machine (and some traditional) recipes calling for heavier flours such as whole wheat, rye, and other whole grains often call for the addition of a little bit of wheat gluten, as these flours tend to be denser and contain less gluten. Wheat gluten is pricey and can be tricky to find, but only a small amount is used in most recipes and it is apparently completely worth it. It can be omitted in a pinch, and since I didn't have any on hand, I left it out in this recipe. Well, the bread still rose very well (it may have rose over the pan if I had added the extra gluten), and personally I think there is enough gluten around without purposely adding extra, so I probably won't be buying it anytime soon. However, for last minute bread machine loaves, wheat gluten is vital. 

Machine True Whole Wheat Bread
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 Tablespoons honey
4 cups whole wheat flour
5 1/2 teaspoons wheat gluten (optional)
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

Place all ingredients in bread machine pan in order given, or according to manufacturer's instructions for whole wheat cycle. This makes one large loaf, although size setting will depend on machine.