Seitan Base Mix

Is this vital wheat gluten or is it a mix with flour?

This base is just a way to add additional flavor to vital wheat gluten. It is not a mix with just plain flour. Hope that helps. Cheers!

I was wondering if there is a substitute for Vital Wheat Gluten Mix? I cannot find this mix in my city and I have to do my assignment.. Thank you

Hi Liliana- Wheat gluten flour is basically just made from the protein of the wheat (no starch) - so it's not something you can substitute. if you are able to order anything online, I'd try that. https://www.desertcart.ae/products/2137559-arrowhead-mills-vital-wheat-gluten-10-oz ~Ken

What would be the disadvantage of using onion and garlic powder instead of granules?

Hi Karla - Thanks for your question. Outside of adjusting your quantities depending on which option you choose, I don't see any disadvantage of using onion and garlic powder instead of granules...I've attached an informative link below that may help... https://www.leaf.tv/articles/granulated-garlic-vs-garlic-powder/ All the best, Chef Kirk

thank you fo this awesome information.

When you make seitan does it become solid? How? Any help would be greatly appreciated since I am going to try to make seitan as a pastrami plant based.

Hi Donna - super question! So in my experience, it's best to cook Seitan in a moist environment (i.e. braise, steam, etc). It will definitely become solid through the cooking process but you don't want to just bake or cook it in a dry oven - it needs moisture. Love the pastrami idea. If you follow the Rouxbe lesson on Braised Seitan and just change the flavor profile to reflect a more savory approach vs. the sweeter profile of the braised dish - perhaps add liquid smoke and the standard pastrami brine, you will have a great result! Thanks for engaging with Rouxbe! Chef Kirk

Hi.. How can I make this recipe if I am gluten free? Thank you

Hi Marigale. Thank you for your question. Seitan is a gluten-based food and really cannot be replicated in a gluten free diet. There are a lot of options to add a protein rich component to your meal featuring tofu, tempeh and legumes. Peruse our recipe data base for some options or let me know here what you are hoping to create. Lauren

Is there a specific wet/dry ratio that is universally applied when making seitan?

Hi Austin. Good question. I love ratios as well. I need to test this out but my instinct (and experience) say that it is pretty close to 1:1 if you are using vital wheat gluten. It you are incorporating moist ingredients like tomato paste and sautéed onions you might dial back the liquid and if you are adding dry ingredients like nutritional yeast or a hefty amount of dried herbs you might add more liquid. Let me know what your outcome is! Lauren

Hi, I have a question regarding the cooking times of the seitan. In many recipes I see it needs to be steamed/simmered for about 40min or an hour. Some other recipe online skip the steaming and just advise to panfry for a few minutes on each side of “the seitan steak” without precooking. Does seitan need to be cooked for so long to make it digestible or is the cooking time/method only a matter of desired texture?

Good question, Polona! You can steam, braise, pan fry or roast seitan. It does require sufficient cook time to be digestible but you can make the dough and pan fry it- You just need to cut small pieces and give it enough time with the fire. For example, if you cut a big chunk and quickly seared it to get an edge it would not be cooked enough. When I pan fry it, I cut strips that are pretty thin. My favorite is to braise and then pan fry so that it is filled with flavor and crispy. I hope that makes sense. Lauren

I am making the Shepherd's Pie w/ Garlic Mashed Potatoes, can i use this for the "ground seitan" that the recipe calls for? thanks

Hi Darlene--thanks for writing, and the answer is, YES! You will be very happy with the outcome of your Shepherd's Pie. All of your friends will want the recipe! Happy Cooking! -Char

Hi! I am super new to plant based. I am wondering what happens after the dry mix? How much liquid and what liquid is or can be added? Is there a recommended video that walk me through the entire process? Also, it would be great if we received alert/notifications or emails when our comments receive a reply and to which post. :). Thanks in advance. - LaKiesha

Hello, Lakiesha: This is the best recipe for making a "brisket seitan." You will want to invite me over for dinner--it is that good. Here you go: https://rouxbe.com/recipes/5329-bbq-glazed-seitan-brisket Let us know how you make out with the recipe! Cheers, Char

Hello, Is vital wheat gluten flour the same as wheat flour? Thank you!

Hi Rhea: thanks for writing. Wheat gluten is made from gluten, the main protein of wheat. It is made by washing wheat flour with water until all the starch granules have been removed. To answer your question, Vital Wheat Gluten is not flour, but, it is made from wheat flour. Hope this is helpful to you. Thanks, Char

Hi, Me and my family do not like the taste and smell of nutritional yeast. Can I prepare the Seitan Base Mix without the nutritional yeast or can I use something instead of it? Thank you, a lot. Nataša

Hello, Natasa: thanks for writing. I would suggest to use miso (for flavor). Sometimes, nutritional yeast can add to the texture of a dish. You may need to add less liquid. I would suggest a white or red miso. The bean paste will work well and add great flavor. Let us know how the recipe will work for you. Cheers, Char

How much does a cup of this mix weight in grams?

Hi Kelly: The answer is 128 grams. Let us know how the recipe turns out for you. Cheers, Char

In preparing the seitan base mix for the BBQ glazed brisket I put 1/4 cup to much vital wheat gluten and the correct amounts of Nutritional yeast, onion granules and garlic granules. Do I need to adjust the other ingredients? Thanks!

Hi Patti: Just make certain that the mixture isn’t too dry. You may want a few pinches of the garlic and onion granules. The braising should work out well. Thx for writing. Cheers, Char

Vital Wheat glutton is literally the gluton that has been extracted from the flour. You cannot substitute one for the other.