Add to: Recipe Box | Grocery List | Meal PlannerRecipe submitted by RB
Easy SeitanIngredients (use vegan versions): 2 cups Redmill gluten flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Archived comment by: optional spices:
1tbs garlic powder
1tsp onion powder
2 teaspoon cumin
Braggs Liquid Aminos or other soy sauce to add salt
Directions:I have done a lot of experimenting to get the texture right, and this is what I have come up with.
Put the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix completely. Add enough liquid that all the flour forms into a ball. knead until there are no dry spots.
Form into whatever shape is desired, I usually end up with 2 thick pancakes.
Put into a pot with boiling water. The seitan will initially sink. It will float to the top, and when it has sunk again, it is cooked and ready for use. This takes between 45 minutes to 1 1/3 hours depending on thickness, elevation and heat.
Serves: 6-8
Preparation time: 1/2 hour
I've been intimidated by the idea of making my own seitan, but finally tried this recipe. It turned out great, although I tried to cheat and use my stand mixer, which has rebelled. This stuff is super strong when its mixed up! I found using kitchen shears was the best way to cut it up. I added some more seasonings (something called Ocean Zest) and made chicken-style seitan. Thanks for the recipe!
Archived comment by: prescott
make sure you use a big stock pot, the sietan expands during cooking
Archived comment by: veggiewedgie
What is the best way to store this after it has been prepared if you aren't using it right away? In the fridge? And how long will it keep?
Archived comment by: celestial726
i just wrapped some up and threw it in the freezer....ill let you know when it gets funky
Archived comment by: veggiewedgie
From my experience with seitan, if you keep it in the fridge, it keeps about a week and you want to keep it in the broth it was cooked in. I haven't frozen it, so I couldnt say about that. I will say beware of seitan kept for much longer than a week. I ingested some that was about a week and a half old and I was very very sick for a couple of days. Not sure if it was all because of the seitan or that the seitan was a contributing factor, but take my word for it, you don't wanna be that sick............ever. ;-)
Archived comment by: tari
It looks like I am going to have a quiet weekend so I might try making seitan to give me something different to do. Will report back on the results.
Archived comment by: celestial726
I have successfully frozen it for 2 months. And I literally tossed it into a reused plastic container and put it in the freezer, no special considerations taken. So now I make a double batch, save part to use that week, and then freeze the rest. BTW, this recipe is GREAT! My non-veggie BF asks for seitan all the time. Hes even bought two Seitan cookbooks for me as hints.
Archived comment by: goodLittleVeggie
How does one normally serve this? By itself?
Archived comment by: greenjewel
Seitan is good with anything really...its super good sliced and eaten cold on a sandwich, its good cubed with pasta, in cutlets with gravy, potatoes and veggies, basically with anything that regular meat would be good with. You can grind it in a food processor and use it like ground beef, in spaghetti bolognese, etc. It is such an awesome meat substitute, my husband and I love it. Good luck!
Archived comment by: ashleyrae
We made this tonight and were very pleased with the results. We made it in the Cuisinart, which made it very very easy. (And SO much cheaper than buying it in the store!!) We let it run for a minute or two until well combined and then turned it out onto waxed paper and kneaded for an extra minute or so. We put the first batch into the water right away, but we let the rest of it rest for 40 minutes or so. That second batch was even nicer, so if you've got time, I'd say let all of the dough rest to let the gluten develop so its firmer. The outside was a little fluffy, but I think if you let it rest and then knead it again for a few seconds before tossing it in the water, it would have a more consistent texture. We snacked so much on it while cooking that there's not a lot left, but well use it in a stirfry and on sandwiches. Five stars!
Archived comment by: sharway
This is probably a dumb question....but what liquid do you add to make the dough? Just the Braggs? Seems like you would have to use an awful lot....or do you use water? I don't see it listed in the ingredients. I have never made this before??
Archived comment by: little2ant
We used some Braggs and some water. If you use all Braggs I think it would be way too salty, so do it by taste (its not really that fantastic taste-testing uncooked gluten dough, but it won't kill you).
Archived comment by: sharway
I am so lazy that I ate some of this sliced up with A-1 poured over the top... I think it may have had to do with I haven't eaten yet today, heh. Not bad, even though it may be a little odd to do.
Archived comment by: shounen
We forgot the baking powder tonight and I think it actually improves the texture... its dense and chewy as opposed to fluffy. My fiance likes it better when its dense because he's used to that texture from commercially available products. Anyway, if its too fluffy for your tastes, try kneading it a little longer and let it sit out for a 40 minutes or so before you boil it. Seriously, we can't get enough of this stuff!
Archived comment by: sharway
I think the baking powder did make the texture to fluffy. If you like fluffy Seitan, this is the recipe for you.
Archived comment by: rainbow Brite
Gluten flour. can it be replaced by anything that says vital wheat gluten or high gluten flour? I have tried to make seitan twice, once with the recipe on the back of the box of some stuff I bought. The recipe was called seitan so I know it wasn't something else. It cannot be turning out right because it was gross and rubbery or something. I would really like to try it cooked correctly. Also, Red Mill stuff is pretty expensive even though compared to made-seitan, it is not. any alternative USA brands?
Archived comment by: vegetasia
I bought a box of Arrowhead Mills Vital Wheat Gluten and followed the recipe on the back of the box and it turned out great. I made the whole box and cooked it according to directions and just froze what I didn't use. I made yummy fajitas, seitan cheese steak sandwhiches, and stew...so good!
Archived comment by: rnr5000
Vegetasia, vital wheat gluten is the same thing as gluten flour, but high gluten flour is not.
Archived comment by: sharway
Tari - your expeience sounds awful. Foods without preseratives spoil quickly. Thats a good thing (who wants food that doesn't spoil or has preservatives in it. Fresh foods should be eaten within a few days. Like you, I learned my lesson the hard way and do not eat anything that has been cooked after 3 days unless I freeze it before the 3rd day and then eat it after it is defrosted and don't allow it to sit around.
Archived comment by: kittykel
I live in a small city, and I can get gluten flour from the bulk section of my department store. Lucky, I guess. My problem is: How do I get a denser texture? I've tried all the suggestions here, and it still ends up tasting like a loofah.I LOVE seitan, and had hoped for more of a beef texture like the stuff one buys in a store. What I made was still pretty good. I fried it up in some tomato sauce, and had Seitan Cacciatore.
Archived comment by: higgy
Alright, I did some fiddling with the recipe, and came up with something with a denser texture. I eliminated the baking powder. I then used 1 cup and 2 tablespoons of gluten flour to 1 cup of water. The dough ending up being much less watery. After kneading the dough and rolling it into a log, I oput it into a plastic bag, and weighed the log down with some heavy books for about an hour. Then boiled it until done. The texture was denser and more like meat than I had been able to get before.
Archived comment by: higgy
Mine never sank...I'll tell you if it ever does...
Archived comment by: malmi
don't worry if it doesn't sink. when i make it it sinks for like a couple seconds and floats. it all turns out in the end though
Archived comment by: baypuppy
As far as what liquid to use, Its been said that using tomato broth gives seitan a beefier taste.
Archived comment by: anarchosurfpunkvgn
