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$5.03/lb Bob's Red Mill
$5.75/lb King Arthur
$5.15/lb Arrowhead

Since I did the math for my own curiosity, here's the cost per pound of each option.

I might have to track some of this stuff down since I'm trying to bake more with whole wheat and it might help the texture some.

I have been playing around with making my own faux sausages ever since I found this recipe posted to the Vegan Dad blog.

While the bag of gluten seems a little spendy, its lasted through four batches of sausages - this is a lot cheaper than buying them, and I get to make up my own flavors...

I buy mine from the local food co-op in bulk and it is significantly cheaper. Its closer to $3 a pound. I don't remember if some Whole Foods have it in their bulk section but its worth a look. I've primarily used it to for making seitan using the recipe in Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. Its wonderful to keep around, and freezes (with some of its simmering liquid) quite well.

Just used it yesterday to make a HUGE batch of seitan. Hail.

My home bread baking skills are still limited to Bittman's no-knead version with the only change being a mixture of 1/2 Whole Wheat Bread flour and 1/2 AP flour and a mixture of herbs; usually rosemary. Would the addition of this gluten be beneficial to the end product of this recipe? Thanks in advance to any input/advice.

Believe it or not, I've found this to be readily available at my local Stop & Shop (Northeast US). It's Hodgson Mill brand, and costs about $3 for a 6oz box.

I've been using Arrowhead Mill's vital wheat gluten to make low carb bread (in a bread machine) for years. It makes a super light, soft bread which is high in protein. It's so soft that I have to freeze it to slice it, but my husband has it every week for his sandwiches for lunch.

The recipe is (add to the machine in order of appearance):

1/2 cup tepid water
1 egg
1 tbsp. honey (or sugar)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. Canola (or Olive) oil
1/2 cup oat flour (oats processed in the food processor as fine as they can be) or ground flaxseed
3/4 cup vital wheat gluten
2 tbsp. all purpose flour
1 tsp. yeast

Bake using the "basic" setting with a light crust setting.

I usually trim off the crust because it's a bit tough. Because it's so airy, I can do this after it's frozen and it's really easy to remove it as a papery thin layer.

Rosebud, I actually think a tablespoon or two of wheat gluten would be great for the no-knead bread! I find the the crumb on the no-knead can sometimes be a bit loose (like it tears a lot when you're cutting slices), and I think this is because the dough doesn't develop as much gluten structure as a regularly kneaded bread. Give it a try and let us know how it turns out!

I have made seitan and faux meats with it, but I have not yet tried it in bread making. I might try this with some Rye or Spelt!

I don't think it's hard to find, at least not in the places I've lived (CA, WA, NM.)

Any store that sells flour in bulk should have vital wheat gluten. I'm actually hard pressed to think of a store that I haven't seen it at. Maybe I've just been lucky to live in areas that carry it?

Also, Whole Foods does carry it.

Vital wheat gluten seems insignificant, especially since it's used in such small amounts, in breadmaking. But it seriously helped make some of the best whole-wheat bread I've ever made. Here's the result: http://www.abreadaday.com/?p=801

It would absolutely help make a good rye bread, since rye flour just won't form gluten like wheat flour. I haven't tried making seitan with it, but now that I've got a bag sitting in my pantry, I might just have to give it a whirl!

http://www.abreadaday.com

Argh! - a coeliacs worst nightmare!!