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    You are here: Home / Guides / How to Make Seitan

    LAST UPDATED: August 14, 2018 • FIRST PUBLISHED: July 13, 2018

    How to Make Seitan

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Crafting your very own homemade seitan is super easy. This step-by-step tutorial will show you how to make seitan with vital wheat gluten and a few pantry staples! Plus: a recipe for homemade seitan with three flavor variations.

    Overhead View of a Sliced Piece of Seitan on a Cutting Board with Text Overlay "How to Make Seitan"

    Early on in my blogging days I posted a recipe for seitan. Just recently I set out to make some updates to that post, namely, rephotographing it, when I realized something more was needed.

    A recipe is what kept me from making seitan for about ten years. I'll explain what I mean below, but for now, suffice it to say, seitan is more of a how-to, choose your own adventure type food. Seitan is super easy to make with the ingredients that are readily available these days, and once you've made a few batches you can totally wing it. 

    I first heard about seitan when I was about nineteen. I was a big fan of the show Christina Cooks with the Class. I loved that show! Ate up all of her seemingly crazy veggie concoctions, literally. One day she busted out some seitan, and I was intrigued, to say the least. I eventually got my hands on some, and later branched out into making my own seitan.

    My first experiences with homemade seitan involved following a recipe that called for rinsing and massaging a big ball of wheat flour dough for a half hour or so to isolate the wheat gluten, which was a huge pain in the butt. This was before powdered vital wheat gluten became widely available.

    That recipe also involved a big piece of kelp known as kombu, which was meant to give the seitan a savory flavor. The recipe instructed me to use kombu, so I dutifully searched every Asian market within a few city blocks until I found some.

    After that I didn't make seitan again for a while because (1) the whole dough rinsing process was just way to daunting, and (2) I didn't feel like searching for kombu again.

    I totally had it in my head that kombu was essential to seitan making. In my defense, the cookbook I'd been using, which was probably written in 1972, acted like kombu was the biggest deal ever and without it your seitan would be awful.

    I know better now, and this is why I'm giving you a recipe today with three flavor variations. 

    Also, you don't even have to follow the recipe. Read my instructions below and make seitan your way. The only essential ingredient is the vital wheat gluten, which, thankfully, you can get at natural foods stores and some regular old supermarkets these days.

    What is Seitan?

    Close Up of a Sliced Piece of Seitan on a Cutting Board

    First off, it's a good idea to have some understanding of what seitan actually is. I feel like it makes people nervous! Seitan isn't as familiar as good old tofu. But it kind of is.

    If you've ever eaten a vegetarian restaurant meal and were amazed at how meaty it tasted, you were probably eating seitan. If you've ever eaten commercial meat substitutes, they probably contained some seitan.

    I don't eat a whole lot of store-bought meat substitutes though. I prefer homemade seitan because it's generally a lot better, and I know what's in it.

    Seitan is made from wheat gluten, which is maybe why it scares people. But if you don't have celiac disease and you're not gluten sensitive, there's nothing to worry about.

    Gluten is the protein that's in wheat. It's what gives bread dough its elastic, stretchy texture. When you isolate the gluten by removing the starch and bran, you're left with something that has a texture that's quite meat-like. Season it to taste like meat, and you've got seitan.

    1. Make Your Dough

    Collage Showing Steps For Forming a Dough to Make Seitan: Mix Water, Wheat Gluten and Chickpea Flour in a Bowl, Stir to Form a Dough, and Knead the Dough by Hand

    As you might have guessed, the dough starts with vital wheat gluten, which will be in powdered form. You can cut the gluten with another type of flour. I like to do this — I find gluten alone results in seitan that's a bit tough for my taste.

    1 cup of vital wheat gluten to ¼ cup chickpea flour or soy flour is a good place to start. This will give you about 2 cups of seitan.

    Add water. 1 cup is a good amount for the batch size we're working with. Mix and form a dough.

    2. Knead Your Dough

    Hand Kneading Dough to Make Seitan

    Just like with bread making, we need to knead the dough a bit, to develop strands of gluten that give seitan a meaty texture.

    About 5 minutes of kneading is sufficient. Let it sit for about 5 minutes after that.

    3. Make Your Broth

    The broth is what gives your seitan flavor, so you want it to taste how you intend for your seitan to taste. You can do whatever you want here, and this is a great place to experiment. Feel like searching every local Asian market for a big piece of kombu? Totally fine, but if you can't find one, please don't let it stop you!

    For the batch size we're going with, six cups of broth is about ideal. If you take a look at the amount of dough you've got, six cups may seem like a lot, but it's not. Your seitan will double or even triple in size while it cooks!

    I usually start with low sodium vegetable broth, but water works too. You'll want a good amount of salt in there (meat is salty!), which is best provided by soy sauce, tamari, or liquid aminos. ¼ to ⅓ cup of soy sauce is my standard.

    From there, it's all up to you what you add. Think savory flavors. Here are a few suggestions:

    • garlic (fresh or powder)
    • onion powder
    • dried herbs
    • wine
    • nutritional yeast
    • vegan Worcestershire sauce
    • miso (this adds quite a bit of salt, so use less soy sauce if you include it)
    • liquid smoke
    • Kitchen Bouquet, Gravy Master, or another all-purpose seasoning

    If you're not sure where to start, use the recipe below. If has three broth variations for seitan that's best suited to replace different types of meat: pork, chicken, and beef.

    4. Simmer Your Gluten

    Collage Showing Steps for Cooking Homemade Seitan: Prepare Broth, Add Seitan to Broth, and Simmer Seitan in Broth for 1 Hour

    By the time your broth is done, your gluten should be sufficiently rested. Cut it into smaller pieces. I recommend cutting it into at least 4 pieces because (1) if they're too big the broth won't fully penetrate them, and (2) remember that they'll expand during cooking, and if they get too big the broth will no longer cover them.

    Bring the broth to a boil. Lower the heat until it's just at a simmer, and then add the dough pieces. Set the timer for an hour and keep an eye on the pot. You don't want to let it get to a rolling boil, or your seitan might end up overcooked and chewy. I like to keep mine just barely simmering.

    5.  Cook it Up

    Hand Holding a Bowl of Vegan Mongolian Beef with Chopsticks

    Technically, your seitan is already cooked and you can eat it straight from the pot — I often do!

    Cut it into smaller pieces if you'd like, and if you aren't using it right away, store it in the broth. It'll be good for about 5 days in the fridge. If you'd like to use it more than five days out, you can seal it up and freeze it.

    Now that you know how to make seitan, what should you do with it? You can use your seitan in place of meat in lots of recipes, or start with a recipe developed specifically for seitan. Here are a few to get you started:

    Vegan Mongolian Beef (pictured above)

    Seitan & Chickpea Salad with Dill and Almonds

    Vegan Beef Barley Soup

    Vegan Seitan and Mushroom Reubens

    Teriyaki Seitan and Veggie Kebabs

    Like this recipe? If so, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter. And please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you make it!

    Overhead View of a Sliced Piece of Seitan on a Cutting Board
    4.9 from 96 votes
    Print

    Homemade Seitan

    Crafting your very own homemade seitan is super easy, and you don't even need a recipe. This step-by-step tutorial will show you how to make seitan with vital wheat gluten and a few pantry staples! Plus: a recipe for homemade seitan with three flavor variations.

    Course Entree
    Cuisine American, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 1 hour
    Resting time 5 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
    Servings 4
    Calories 173 kcal
    Author Alissa Saenz

    Ingredients

    For the Dough

    • 1 cup vital wheat gluten
    • ¼ cup chickpea flour
    • 1 cup water

    For the Broth - Pork Flavor

    • 6 cups low sodium vegetable broth or water
    • ⅓ cup soy sauce
    • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
    • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
    • 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
    • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

    For the Broth - Chicken Flavor

    • 6 cups low sodium vegetable broth
    • ⅓ cup soy sauce
    • ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
    • 1 ½ teaspoons white wine vinegar
    • 1 ½ teaspoons poultry seasoning
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon liquid smoke

    For the Broth - Beef Flavor

    • 5 ½ cups low sodium vegetable broth
    • ½ cup dry red wine
    • ⅓ cup soy sauce
    • 2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper

    Instructions

    1. Stir the vital wheat gluten and chickpea flour together in a medium bowl.

    2. Add the water and stir to form a soft dough.

    3. Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead it for 5 minutes. 

    4. Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes.

    5. While the dough rests, stir all of the broth ingredients for your choice of broth together in a large pot. 

    6. Place the pot over high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat to a low simmer.

    7. Cut the dough into at least 4 large pieces, or if you prefer, smaller strips or chunks.

    8. Add the dough to the broth.

    9. Allow the broth to simmer for 1 hour, uncovered, watching closely to ensure it stays at a low simmer (don't allow it to rapidly boil).

    10. Remove the pot from heat and allow it to cool a bit.

    11. When the seitan is cool enough to handle, you can cut it into smaller pieces if you like. Use it in a recipe immediately, or store it in the broth. Refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze.

    Recipe Notes

    The nutrition information is very approximate for this recipe, since there are three flavor variations and it's difficult to estimate just how much broth is absorbed during cooking. 

    Nutrition Facts
    Homemade Seitan
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 173 Calories from Fat 12
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 1.3g2%
    Saturated Fat 0.1g1%
    Sodium 562mg23%
    Potassium 127mg4%
    Carbohydrates 15.2g5%
    Fiber 2.2g9%
    Sugar 1.7g2%
    Protein 25.9g52%
    Calcium 10mg1%
    Iron 0.9mg5%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    How to Make Seitan
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    About Alissa Saenz

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

    I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Bethany Lewis says

      January 25, 2021 at 4:52 pm

      5 stars
      Ohhh Emmmm Geeee I wish I could give this recipe 10 stars!! I’ve been plant-based for almost 5 years and never tried making seitan before because I thought it was difficult and finicky. I looked at several recipes and chose yours because it was the simplest and I’ve made several of your recipes before! But to be 100% honest I was skeptical that it would turn out right especially when mine didn’t increase in size. I just knew it was going to be tough and I feared it would be spongy. But it was neither and the flavor is delicious and the texture and “bite” are divine! I made my own vegetable stock which had a lot of flavor and combined with your broth ingredients it’s amazing. The flavor is primarily on the outside but this is perfect because I want to make several dishes out of it. When I make it again I may add the broth to the dough as others’ have suggested, depending on how I’m going to use it.

      Thank you for helping me get over my fear of making seitan! Excellent recipe.

      Reply
    2. Joan says

      January 31, 2021 at 5:17 pm

      5 stars
      I just made this, and it was ridiculously easy. I've been wanting to make some ever since I went vegan. A friend of mine (also vegan) told me not to bother, because seitan was too difficult, and she had a batch explode in her oven. (!!) I put together the broth and started it heating before making the seitan. By the time I finished mixing, kneading and resting, the broth was already simmering. I made the "chicken" version this weekend, and it turned out delicious, and beautifully textured. Great recipe -- thank you!

      Reply
    3. Yeni says

      February 05, 2021 at 6:42 pm

      Hola, me gustaron tus recetas, podrías enviarme más a mi correo? Gracias, en verdad muchas gracias

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 07, 2021 at 4:02 pm

        ¡Me alegra que los estés disfrutando! Aquí hay un enlace a la página donde puede suscribirse a mi lista de correo electrónico: https://www.subscribepage.com/connoisseurusveg

        Reply
    4. Shirley Fraser says

      February 09, 2021 at 12:38 pm

      Hi Alyssa. Recipe looks great but haven’t made it yet. Regarding nutritional info, sodium quantity high , so is this for the entire slab of seitan, or an individual serving the size or weight of which is not indicated.
      Thanks, Shirley Fraser

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 10, 2021 at 7:52 pm

        The nutrition info is for a serving, which is about one fourth of the batch - about 3 ounces, though the exact weight will vary from batch to batch.

        Reply
    5. Bripru says

      February 14, 2021 at 11:59 pm

      Made this tonight for Valentine's Day feast. I made broth with veggie scraps, lots of mushroomy flavor. I chunked the seitan and stretched it in an attempt to get strips. I removed from broth, drained, squeezed and dried thoroughly, then tossed in cornstarch and spices, and fried in olive oil. Yes ma'am, so good. My seitan had the appearance of chicken nuggets--no complaints here, but I may try to roll the dough into a loaf next time and slice into strips before simmering. Great recipe!

      Reply
    6. Ian says

      March 18, 2021 at 10:50 am

      I plan to fry the seitan. Is it safe to eat the dough after frying or do i need to boil it for an hour first before I fry it? Thanks

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        March 21, 2021 at 5:40 pm

        It should be safe to eat, but I'm not sure if the texture will be right. I'd boil it and then fry it - I'd done this before with great results!

        Reply
    7. Gemma says

      March 18, 2021 at 6:47 pm

      I've just tried this recipe for the 1st time. I left the lid on (didn't read instructions properly) Seitan didn't expand - quite ap dense texture but am still going to try and make something out of it tomorrow- wish me luck 🤞🏻

      Reply
    8. Victoria says

      March 19, 2021 at 2:25 am

      5 stars
      I’m new to this and I’ve noticed most seitan recipes call for chickpea flour. Can you use regular flour, what is the difference?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        March 21, 2021 at 5:38 pm

        The texture and flavor will be different, but I've had some readers tell me that this does work with all-purpose flour.

        Reply
      • Gabriel Minniear says

        December 19, 2021 at 12:47 pm

        I always make it with regular flour, and it comes out great. Best Seitan recipe I've found. I usually add some seasoning (like Trader Joe's Mushroom Umami blend) to the dough, but otherwise follow the recipes as given. Works every time.

        Reply
      • Mary says

        February 02, 2022 at 3:18 pm

        5 stars
        I'd use the chickpea flour. Trader Joe's used to have the only decent, actually delicious, chickenless "chickn" on the market, and it contained chickpea flour. It was in big chunks that looked like shredded breast. They discontinued it a few years ago and left me bereft, LOL!. Not because if wasn't selling, it sold well, but because whatever brand-name company was making it for them to their specifications, couldn't make enough for TJ's. I miss it. I've tried every readymade brand, and they are either offensively salty and/or disgustingly greasy, in my opinion... one contains three kinds of starch, and two were literally sticky and mushy and tasted nothing like chicken, had no "bite," either. One was preformed, molded into uniform sticks and would squish against the roof of my mouth with just my tongue.

        I've been meaning to make my own since TJ discontinued. To get the texture, I think chickpea flour would imitate TJ's chickn best. Alissa's is a good basic seitan recipe, I've seen all kinds online, from the most complicated end of the spectrum, to bizarre, or calling for ingredients that can't be located anywhere, and one that said you can't make decent seitan without using lots of lab chemicals. Alissa's recipes are going to turn out good basic seitan, and you can personalize it.

        I've got five seitan cookbooks out from the library that I've been leafing through. The basics are always the same, though some recipes go to greater lengths to imitate the appearance of meats... red-and-pale streaked bacon, toothy spicy pepperoni, red beef, "fatty" layered pastrami, sticky ribs, and so on. For company I might go the distance, but for me by myself, I think this is all I need in the beginning. The flavor profile and the tooth-feel.

        I'd follow her instructions and get a feeling for it. I've always known it has to be simmered for an hour before I do anything else with it, that's what I did when I was a hippie The only tips I'd give, after watching lots of YouTube videos... is never use nonstick cookware, especially older pots, they're unhealthy; and once you decide you like making seitan, buy ingredients like the nutritional yeast in a larger (1-lb) bulk amount, saving money. They are buying known brands and just repackaging them with their store name, for less. Nutritional yeast can be used with cashews to make vegan Parmesan... I sprinkle it over airpopped popcorn with avo oil and sea salt... and it's a daily-used condiment for my dinners, right next to the pepper and sea salt. So it makes sense to buy something more than a small brand-name plastic jar of it. I get nutritional yeast from Natural Grocers, and it's also sold in bulk bags at Sprouts.

        I've been vegetarian since 1972. I really love tofu, but once in a while I want a change. It's only been a matter of time for me to finally try making my own seitan again. First chicken, then pepperoni. One would need to wrap the pepperoni log in parchment paper and then snugly in aluminum foil twisted at either end like a firecracker, to keep it dense. And she's not kidding about gently simmering: if you boil seitan it will swell into what I remember calling "brains!" LOL!

        Alissa, thank you for your generosity and experience. I've mailed myself your recipe. I've always got the ingredients anyway. This is a good fundamental recipe, and you're the Real Deal. If I can wait for my sourdough each week, then I can use the same amount of time to make seitan. And if it's anything like TJ's was, I can freeze some. :)

        Reply
    9. Evelynne says

      March 19, 2021 at 7:57 pm

      Hi Alissa, I was just wondering if I could use all purpose flour instead of chickpea or soy? Thank you 😊

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        March 21, 2021 at 5:36 pm

        I've had a few readers tell me they did this with good results, so I think so!

        Reply
    10. Alan Jardine says

      March 22, 2021 at 10:56 am

      5 stars
      Hi everyone!!!
      First of all, Im new here, but would like to thank Alissa for the wonderful seitan recipe plus all the fantastic advice.
      And of course to all the guests who have added their valued comments. Ive read them all!!!! Good stuff.
      I followed Alissas recipe and it turned out fantastic, just what Ive been looking for, a tofu/quorn/paneer/soy substitute.
      I live in Slovakia, and some ingredients are very difficult to purchase. So Ive used really close substitutes that work brilliantly.
      So, I want to share a recipe with you that will absolutely blow you away!!!!!
      I call it Chinese Seitan and its jaw droppingly good.
      Seitan dough.
      Same as alissas, but add 1 tsp crushed garlic and 1 tsp crushed ginger, 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, 1 heaped tsp Vegeta, or any salty mix, and 1 medium finely diced onion.
      I find this really adds huge flavour to the basic seitan dough. Remember to mix all the ingredients together well, BEFORE you add the water. This will lock those ingredients inside the seitan.
      Cook with Alissas chicken broth recipe.
      Now comes the magical part!!!
      Make up a Chinese marinade.
      4 tbsp medium or dark soy sauce
      4 tbsp honey
      4 tbsp dry sherry, or 2 tbsp white vinegar and 2 tbsp chicken broth
      1 tsp black pepper
      1 tsp crushed garlic
      1 tsp crushed ginger
      1 tsp Chinese 5 spice or anise
      1 tsp Vegeta or salty mix
      4 tbsp tomato ketchup
      half tsp chilli powder, mild or strong, depending on taste
      half tsp garum masala
      half tsp cumin powder
      Mix all the ingredients together well. It should be a dark red colour, quite runny and smelling quite strong!!!!
      Cut the cooked seitan dough into strips, maybe half inch square, 3 inches long
      Place the marinade into a flat bottomed, sealable container
      Add the strips of seitan until they are just above the marinade.
      Seal container and marinate in fridge for 6 hours, shaking occasionally.
      Remove strips from marinade and either grill or lightly fry with oil, until light brown or even charred!
      Serve on a bed of fresh sliced seasonal raw vegetables, I normally use lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, peppers, etc.
      Trust me, it is amazing!!!!!

      Reply
    11. Alan Jardine says

      March 22, 2021 at 11:11 am

      P.S. For the liquid smoke used in the original Alissas broth, you can substitute for 1 tsp smoked paprika powder.

      Reply
    12. Trout says

      March 22, 2021 at 7:07 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent! I used this recipe to make mock duck. I'm a home chef with tons of experience who just went vegetarian (sorry, I have to have real cheese), but was a bit wary. This is easily as good as you can get at any vegetarian/vegan restaurant. I can't wait to try all the versions.

      Reply
      • Abigail says

        October 28, 2021 at 7:02 pm

        5 stars
        Super good! I made the beef version twice. The first time was a little too acidic for me but I might not be a big fan of worcestershire sauce. Def will make again. Super perfect.

        Reply
    13. Mike S says

      April 19, 2021 at 5:42 pm

      5 stars
      Simple and delicious, this! I've tried other recipes, yet this one is by far the best because it's so simple. With this, I can experiment to my heart's desire. In school, they fed us vegan hamburgers, and I loved them. This recipe takes me back a bit. I plan on experimenting with one "hamburger" after another!

      Reply
    14. Natalie says

      April 22, 2021 at 9:07 am

      3 stars
      Followed the recipe for the chicken version and ended up with a sponge like seitan which totally lacked in flavour. So much so, unfortunately I have given this a generous 3 star rating, which I generally don’t believe it deserved.

      Sorry

      Reply
      • Victoria says

        October 11, 2021 at 6:34 am

        Try adding dry ingredients when making the dough. Use a veggie bullion cube mixed well into the vital gluten and chick pea flour, dry garlic, dry onion powder, nutritional yeast. Add other spices if you want. It will taste better than just cooking it in broth. To make a tasty sauce. Simple, 2 ingredients.
        Date syrup which is a date molasses and minced garlic. Pan fry your seitan and add the 2 mixed ingredients. Keep the sodium down and leave out the soya sauce. Those bullion cubes have at least 19% salt, usually higher. I steam my seitan in a veggie steamer rather than simmering it. Tear it into small pieces and takes 10-12 minutes.
        All purpose flour works as well as chick pea flour. The point of using chick pea is to increase the protein content which for vegans is helpful.

        Reply
    15. Jess says

      April 26, 2021 at 9:58 am

      5 stars
      I only made this because my partner wanted to try it. I had been put off by tesco seitan which tasted like dodgy yogurt and looked horrible (it had dots that set off my almost Trypophobia).

      I honestly didn't think it would work but gave it a go - it is so low effort and the ingredients are cheap.

      Omg it is so good a quarter of the batch never made it out of the pan and the rest is in a stew for dinner. It tastes better than the alternatives and i know what's in it, it will be my go to from now on.

      Ps. Love your recipes, they seem to just work in a way a lot of other ones online don't.

      Reply
    16. Kantha Rodgers says

      July 13, 2021 at 5:22 am

      Hi, thank you for the recipe.
      First time made a very small batch just to try the process and it was a success.
      Made a second batch this weekend. When you freeze the seitan, do you remove it from the broth or do you freeze it with the broth?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        July 13, 2021 at 8:39 am

        Glad it worked out for you! I like to freeze it in the broth.

        Reply
    17. Emily says

      August 22, 2021 at 7:04 pm

      Here's my low-effort trick to get the flavour infused throughout the seitan - make the broth first, add an extra cup of water to it. Then remove 1c of this liquid and use it as the 'water' for the seitan! No extra ingredients.

      Reply
      • Colleen OMeara says

        October 16, 2021 at 7:41 pm

        Great idea!! I made my first batch today b4 reading this suggestion, but that's what I'm gonna do in the future.

        Reply
    18. NK says

      October 11, 2021 at 10:36 pm

      4 stars
      Love these recipes but have a question and hoping someone has some thoughts on it. The broth didnt seem to penetrate, and am wondering where I went wrong, or if anyone has some ideas on how I might get it to penetrate.

      Thanks, NK

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        October 16, 2021 at 8:58 pm

        One thing you could try is cutting it into smaller pieces before cooking. I also find that the broth continues to soak into the seitan after it's cooked, so you could make it a couple days in advance and store it in the fridge.

        Reply
    19. Colleen OMeara says

      October 16, 2021 at 5:31 pm

      You mention that the seitan will double in size while cooking. I couldn't find vital gluten flour so I used bread flour. I also didn't find nutritional yeast so I used bakers yeast which "google" said would be the same thing (almost) bakers yeast is alive and nutritional is dead. Are these merely used to thicken?
      Also is it possible to over knead the dough? I did way more than 10 minutes.
      Anyway, the taste is adequate for just simmered "meat", but it sure didn't double in size. This was my first ever even learning of this. After I did my trial I went to Amazon. These to items are EXPENSIVE!!
      TIA

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        October 16, 2021 at 8:54 pm

        Hi Colleen! Unfortunately, neither is really a sufficient substitution for what the recipe calls for. Bread flour has gluten in it, but it's also got a ton of starch and bran, so I'm not surprised that it didn't work. Baker's yeast wouldn't work either. Are you sure you didn't mix it up with brewer's yeast? That's much closer to nutritional yeast. The nutritional yeast is in there for flavor, whereas baker's yeast is a leavening agent. Do you have a supermarket nearby with a good natural foods section? You might be able to find the right ingredients at better prices than Amazon there.

        Reply
    20. Emily Attwood says

      October 20, 2021 at 12:19 pm

      In the process of making this. So you store in the broth whether refrigerating or freezing? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        October 20, 2021 at 8:15 pm

        That's correct! Enjoy!

        Reply
    21. Ali says

      October 27, 2021 at 1:59 pm

      Hi Alissa,
      Thank you so much for this recipe. I am excited to try it. What temperature should the liquid be when mixing it with the vital wheat gluten and chickpea flour?

      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        October 28, 2021 at 8:47 pm

        The temperature isn't super critical - room temperature is just fine. Enjoy!!

        Reply
    22. Nicole says

      October 31, 2021 at 12:13 pm

      Hi there, I just wonder What's your measurement of the cup you've used for this recipe? Is it 200/230/250 ml? Thanks :-)

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        October 31, 2021 at 8:38 pm

        Hi Nicole! It's 237 ml.

        Reply
        • Nicole says

          November 05, 2021 at 10:36 am

          Thank you for respond. I've got one more question. After the seitan is completely cooked, do I really have to keep it in a broth or can I just store it on it's own in an airtight container ? (in the fridge of course).

          Reply
          • Alissa Saenz says

            November 06, 2021 at 10:18 am

            No problem! Storing it in broth is preferable, but not absolutely required. Storing it in broth will ensure it retains maximum flavor and moisture. It should still be fine if you store it on it's own though.

            Reply
    23. Louca Verbeeck says

      November 11, 2021 at 10:02 am

      Hi! Great blog post and basic recipe for seitan =)

      I just wondered, can I substitute the chickpea flower with oatmeal flour or just regular chickpeas?

      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        November 11, 2021 at 10:42 am

        Thank you! Oat flour should work just fine. Regular chickpeas work, but you'd need to smash them and reduce the amount of liquid in the dough, although I can't say by exactly how much.

        Reply
    24. Haplo says

      December 18, 2021 at 5:54 pm

      In this recipe the seitan gets its flavour from the broth you boil it in.
      Another method is to add herbs/seasoning straight to your flour /dough mixture. Then don't boil the seitan, but wrap is up tight in some paper or plastic and then steam it. This way you get a firmer less spongy texture then the boiled seitan and in my experience also more flavour.

      Reply
      • Mary says

        February 02, 2022 at 5:22 pm

        You never BOIL seitan, no matter which technique you choose. You cook it at a low, gentle simmer, or steam it wrapped. It depends on what texture or meat you're trying to imitate. For pepperoni for example, I roll the log in parchment paper and then snugly in aluminum foil, twisting it at both ends like a firecracker, before simmering: I don't want it to expand much, because pepperoni has a dense sausage-like texture. So does seitan salami. :)

        Reply
    25. Chris says

      January 05, 2022 at 3:38 pm

      I'm new to making seitan. When I cut off a few pieces and sampled them after it finished cooking, I was almost scared how much it tasted like chicken. However, when I used it as a substitute in a chicken quesadilla, I was less impressed--it was not convincing, something about it (the texture?) just didn't seem right. This makes me wonder if I may have done something wrong in the preparation.

      Question: what should the dough ball be like after mixing the wheat gluten, chickpea and water? My dough was very dry and stiff and dense. When I stretched it out to make the patties to boil, it was very hard to work with and very resistant to stretching. I do not know if that is normal or I should have added more water. Any guidance on this point would be appreciated.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        January 06, 2022 at 8:48 pm

        Your description of the dough sounds about right, and it should be pretty dense. There's no need to stretch it into patties for boiling - you can simply cut it into pieces, although I don't think the stretching would have caused the issue you describe. If you're up for experimenting a little you could try adding some ingredients to alter the texture of the seitan - jackfruit, beans, and chickpeas are all possibilities.

        Reply
        • Mary says

          February 02, 2022 at 5:31 pm

          You're right. Stretching would have built more gluten, and it would have resisted her. She should have sliced it. If it's being resistant, also letting it rest covered for a short while, would allow the gluten to relax, just as we do in breadmaking. They're the same gluten. Let it rest, see if that makes it easier to work. And adding other ingredients also might interfere with gluten bond development, you're right about that too. Back in the day... when I was a young hippie... I cut/formed it into "steaks" or pieces/shards, different shapes, before simmering.

          Reply
    26. Cindy says

      January 19, 2022 at 5:27 pm

      I found that the dough recipe - 1 cup vital wheat gluten, 1/4 cup chickpea flour, 1 cup water - made a soggy mush that could in no way be kneaded. I had to add significantly more flour to get a workable dough. However, the final result (I used the “beef” broth recipe), was a decent seitan.

      Reply
      • Mary says

        February 02, 2022 at 5:11 pm

        Just as with bread, seitan depends upon developing gluten. Pulling it, kneading it, gently lifting and folding it in the bowl, will combine the components of glutenin and gliadin, to form gluten. It's a complex process, enzymes and such, and even occurs just while your bread or seitan are "resting" after getting wet... called autolyse. Bread has the added help of yeast. Kneading them and autolyse should have caused gluten to form. There are breads that are also high in percentage of water and harder to work with, such as ciabatta, but they're both worth it. Knowing a little about breadmaking chemistry can help with understanding what you need to do to develop gluten. Be patient, I hope you try again. I'd suggest you can watch some of King Arthur Flour's YouTube videos to understand gluten chemistry. :).

        Reply
    27. Mary says

      February 02, 2022 at 4:45 pm

      5 stars
      Might I suggest, that if you're going to start with some sort of vegetable broth, after all your effort don't just use one of those nasty salty buillion cubes. You can use boxed broth (America's Test Kitchen has recommendations) or make your own broth with typical broth veggies like carrot, onion/leek and celery, herbs of your choice, spices... it's even possible to make a good vegan bone broth. And nowadays, kombu is eaaily available at any international/Asian store, as well as health food stores like Natural Grocers, Sprouts and Whole Foods. It just requires s piece of 2 inches for dashi. I've even seen Kadoya toasted sesame oil and kombu at Walmart. My go-to is a jar of Better Than Buillion. It comes in a variety of flavors, in regular and low-sodium, and is a concentrated paste made from real food. It keeps forever in your fridge, and I add a little of it to lots of dishes to enhance flavor, as well as a hot drink when I don't want a caffeinated beverage.

      Reply
    28. Danny says

      February 08, 2022 at 8:46 pm

      5 stars
      This sounds great, I definitely wanna give it a go. Instead of cooking in a broth do you think this could be cooked in yogurt with curry spices added and maybe in a slow cooker? 🤔

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 13, 2022 at 8:22 pm

        I love the idea of adding curry spices! I'm sure it can be done in a slow cooker, but I can't tell you exactly how long it would take. I'm guessing 2 to 3 hours on low or 4 to 5 on high. I have no idea if yogurt would work, but I'm thinking it might be too thick.

        Reply
    29. Tamika says

      March 10, 2022 at 2:23 pm

      Hi Alissa, I want to make vegan chicken wings with this using sugar cane bone, should i put the fake bone in the dough before the broth or after ?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        March 13, 2022 at 8:26 pm

        Hmmm... I haven't tried this before so I can't say for sure, but my instinct tells me you'd be best to put the bone in the dough before simmering it in the broth. Just keep in mind that the wings will expand and change shape a bit as the seitan cooks. I'd love to hear how this turns out!

        Reply
      • Olivier says

        March 17, 2022 at 4:28 am

        Are you supposed to recook/season the seitan after or eat as is?

        Also has anyone tried to use the broth and mix with with the seitan or use the spices and mix them with the seitan flour?

        Reply
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    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors!

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