Make Your Own Seitan: How To

What even IS seitan?

Some of you might be wondering. Seitan, often referred to as "wheat meat" because of its similarity in texture to the real thing, is made with wheat gluten, and -- though tofu is still king -- it is gaining popularity with veggies and vegans across the country. Back when I lived in Ithaca, Susie's Seitan was the best in town . . . but after a while, we just had to know HOW this delicious substitute was made.

This recipe is Stephen's. He has a few foods that he just loves to make, and seitan is one of them. I decided to post this recipe today (again, from the METHOD archives), as one of my favorite bloggers -- Heidi from 101 Cookbooks -- recently posted an awesome heirloom beans & seitan recipe. The comment discussion had some people asking how to make their own wheat meat.

NOTE: The seasoning measurements are really up to you, but I've provided guidelines. He never makes two logs of the stuff the same.

What you'll need . . .

• 1-1/2 cup wheat gluten (found in the bulk foods section)
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons pepper
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 large basil leaves, chopped
• 3/4 cup cold water
• 4 teaspoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons vegetable broth

Method . . .

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Put all dry ingredients (as well as basil and garlic) in a large bowl and mix together.
   In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients (make sure to add the tomato paste last and then whisk it into the mixture).
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix with your hand -- until you can knead it like dough.
4. Knead until fully incorporated.
5. Roll into a log shape and wrap in 2 layers of aluminum foil -- twisting the ends to seal.
6. Bake for 90 minutes.

I don't have a great photo of the final result . . . but it looks a little something like the photo below. Use seitan on sandwiches, in salads, or just eat it alone. And if you come up with a tasty combination of flavors -- let me know! I'd love to highlight it on (never home)maker!


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