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I think I'm finally going to take the plunge and make some seitan. Can experienced seitan makers help me out with any tips? Can I just follow the recipe from VWAV exactly and get perfect seitan or will I need to tweak it some? (Gasp!)
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I follow the recipe to the letter with two exceptions:
1. I omit the tomato paste. I just can't be bothered with it.
2. Instead of olive oil *and* minced garlic (I can never get the garlic bits to stay in the dough), I omit the garlic and use garlic-infused olive oil.
I wouldn't screw around *too* much with it - the seitan could wind up gooey or fall apart. Don't neglect the kneading, it really affects the texture. And follow the boiling instructions exactly or your seitan will fall apart (but if you goof up, it's still pretty good in chicken-style soup).
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don't let the water boil boil, a little simmer is what you want to get the right texture
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mysticpi wrote:
don't let the water boil boil, a little simmer is what you want to get the right texture
Yes...and knead the seitan for the full five minutes before putting it in the simmer water.
Last edited by seitanicverses (Tue 2/20/07 10:37 am)
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When you think you're done kneading, knead some more.
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I've cooked it in a slow cooker all day, keeps it from ever boiling. Mostly I've made it in a slow cooker until this weekend when I cooked it on the stove because I don't have a slow cooker.
I've always omitted the lemon peel cuz I just never feel like it.
I've also sometimes added liquid smoke or browning liquid as well, depending on the color I want at the end. If I want it "chikn" style I sometimes add poultry seasoning.
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kneading is key to keeping it from being a fluffy disgusting mess. also, it probably won't taste good if you eat it plain. you'll have to cook it again, and probably want to season it like you would any other faux meat.
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oh! I put all the ingredients in my bread maker ald let it knead in there fo a while. Easy!
I wonder what would happen if I cooked it in there too?
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Look here for seitanic pix and tips:
http://urbanvegan.blogspot.com/2006/08/ … eitan.html
http://urbanvegan.blogspot.com/2007/02/ … photo.html
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Thanks for the timely information. I'm about to take a crack at making seitan, too.
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I wrap mine in cheesecloth before boiling, it keeps it more dense and prevents it from falling apart.
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I'm a little confused about the directions for the broth.
In the ingredients it lists the wet ingredients all together w/ the "very cold water or veggie broth." And then it says to mix that with the gluten flour & nutritional yeast.
BUT THEN. Later it says to set the mixture in the very cold water/broth. Are both sets of broth supposed to be cold?
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I always mix the flour etc.. with cold liquid....and sit the unboiled seitan in cold liquid as well....The first time I made seitan by boiling, I dropped the dough in already hot (basically, I think it was boiling) broth and it turend out super puffy and bready. Ick. And also remember, you don't really want to boil it, I find just little bubbles breaking the surface is enough.
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Bake it. That's my advice. 
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Every time I've made seitan, I've just kneaded it by hand and simmered it on the stove. I just got a bread machine, so I think I'm going to see how it turns out if I use the machine to knead it, and then cook it in the slow cooker all day.
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Could you knead it with the dough hook attachment of a mixer? I think mine always goes wrong because I seem incapable of kneading it for long enough!
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+1 on thorough kneading. I don't have a bread machine, so I use my food processor. I've had good results using either the bread blade or the regular chopping blade. I let the machine work for about five minutes -- and it IS work for the machine. At the end of the five minutes the motor is very warm to the touch.
I usually follow the VWAV recipe to the letter.
I need to make some of this--I haven't made any seitan in a long time.
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Bake it as a sausage. Although the slow cooker does sound like a good idea.
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jojo wrote:
Could you knead it with the dough hook attachment of a mixer? I think mine always goes wrong because I seem incapable of kneading it for long enough!
I used mine for seitan this week and it worked pretty well. I did Bryanna Clark Grogan's 'turkey' and it turned out okay. I just wish I'd used a different pan to bake it in. http://www.bryannaclarkgrogan.com/page/page/1435893.htm
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