Pamela Lalik of Wingbean makes seitan in large batches at the Blue Ridge Food Ventures test kitchen, where she prepares meals for home delivery. For home cooks working on a smaller scale, seitan is easy to make with just a sink and an oven, and it’s easy to customize to fit a particular diet (although it’s not gluten-free). “It can be as low in fat as you want it,” Lalik says. “I like to put a little oil in there for texture.”
Seitan starts with wheat gluten, which looks like flour and is easy to find at natural food stores. It’s often in the bulk section, or try the dry goods aisle (Bob’s Red Mill brand makes it). Lalik blends the gluten with other flours for flavor and texture, but that step is optional. Make a dough from the flour using your liquid of choice. Then, knead it, cut it into strips, and bake it in hot water.
For more detailed instructions, check out this recipe from Vegetarian Times magazine: vegetariantimes.com/recipe/homemade-seitan/.
