I read "52 Prepper Projects" by David Nash a while back, and one project was making your own seitan (aka "wheat meat" ) from flour. (Yes that is the correct spelling 😉 ). I am a vegetarian/pescatarian (veg who eats seafood), but I am not a fan of so-called meat substitutes as they are typically expensive, full of additives and don't taste all that good - and really, I didn't stop eating meat to then look for a replacement 😉 However, I am mindful of protein requirements, especially in scarcity situations. I store lots of beans and fish jerky, but I am sick to death of the former, and the latter only lasts so long. Seitan can not only be used just like meat/tofu, but can be dehydrated as well. It has higher protein than tofu or tempeh and does not contain soy (which is a concern for some people). It is basically the "gluten" part of the flour. (Not good for celiacs, obviously). I've seen recipes using special vital wheat gluten flour, but this recipe uses regular cheapo unbleached flour.

Basically, you mix around 3 cups of flour with enough water to make a doughy ball. I added some garlic powder, bay seasoning and salt to the flour first but that is optional. You knead for a few min then put in a bowl and cover with water for 20 min. Then you run under a gentle stream of lukewarm water, kneading gently (not pulling apart), washing away all the starch. After around 10 min, the water will run clear and it will look like brains 🙂 Next you cook it. I cooked it in a slow cooker with veggie bouillion, 1/2 chopped onion, and some worchestershire sauce, on high for 2 hrs then low for another 3 hrs, until it seemed "solid". You can then drain it (i saved it for a "gravy") and cut it into slices or cubes or use however, or dehydrate. It is like tempeh or tofu in that it takes on whatever flavourings you cook it in/with. For half of it, I sauteed strips in BBQ sauce and it was pretty tasty. I plan to use the other half to make into "buffalo bites" with blue cheese dressing.

For the time it takes, I would do a larger quantity next time. From 3 cups I got around 1.5 cups seitan.

Has anyone else tried this?