h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Yesterday, I tried my hand at making seitan from scratch for the first time. Up till now, I've bought pre-packaged seitan when I've wanted to use it.

It was really easy!

1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten (I used 1 cup gluten and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, because I wanted more of a "meat loaf" texture this time around)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 1/2 cups ice cold water or vegetable stock
1/4 cup soy sauce, tamari or liquid aminos
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 cloves minced or pressed garlic

Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl, and the rest in a second bowl. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold together with a rubber spatula.

Knead the dough for about 3 minutes or so until you have a nice spongy dough. Let dough rest for a few minutes, then roll into a long log. Cut log into at least three pieces.

Add 8- 10 cups of cold water or veggie stock to a large pot and put the dough in while the liquid is still cold, then bring the water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for one hour. Turn off heat and cool the seitan in the liquid for at least half an hour or until completely cooled.

Now you have lots of seitan for whatever recipe you have in mind.

If you have a particular recipe planned ahead of time, you can season your seitan with ginger, fennel, etc, to complement your dish.

I love to marinate and then simmer prepared seitan in barbecue sauce, as well as using it in mock meat "loaf", pastas and stir-fry.