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Washed Flour Seitan

3 hr

Homemade staple

10 ingredients or less

Freezer-friendly
Originating from East Asian cuisines, seitan has been a staple for centuries, particularly in Chinese and Japanese cooking. Buddhist monks developed a technique of washing wheat dough to remove the starch, leaving behind a protein-rich gluten. This gluten can be cooked and used as a meat substitute, making it a perfect textural substitute for chicken in many recipes. The name "seitan" is derived from the Japanese words "sei," meaning "to be, to become," and "tan," meaning "protein." This traditional method yields a chewy, satisfying texture, perfect for absorbing flavours in a variety of dishes.

Servings

(110g per serving)

Total

3 hr

Prep

30 min

Cook

1 hr + 10 min

Rest

1 hr + 20 min

Contains

Soy symbol

soy

Gluten symbol

gluten

Free from

Peanut symbol

peanut

Treenut symbol

tree nut

Sesame symbol

sesame

Ingredients

Seitan

  • 7 cups (959 g)
    bread flour†
  • 3 cups (720 mL)
    water

Broth

  • 1 Tbsp (15 mL)
    vegetable oil
  • 1
    small onion, finely chopped
  • 1
    carrot, finely chopped
  • 1
    celery rib, finely chopped
  • 2
    garlic cloves, crushed
  • 6 cups (1440 mL)
    water
  • ¼ cup (60 mL)
    sodium-reduced soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp (34 g)
    miso paste
  • 4
    dried shiitake mushrooms (optional)
  • 1 tsp (5 mL)
    liquid smoke (optional)

Directions

  1. Mix the flour and water to form a dough.
  2. Knead the dough for 5 - 7 minutes.
  3. Rest the dough in water for 1 hour.
  4. Drain and replace the water and knead the dough in the water for 3 - 5 minutes.
  5. Drain the water and repeat adding new water and "washing" the seitan until the water is fairly clear. This might take 4 - 5 washing cycles. The more the seitan is washed, the tougher and more fibrous it becomes. Depending on the texture desired, do less or more washing cycles.
  6. Let the dough rest in an empty bowl for at least 20 - 30 minutes. It will release water as it rests.
  7. Meanwhile, add the oil, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to a large pot. Cook until golden.
  8. Add the remaining broth ingredients and bring to a gentle simmer.
  9. To braid the seitan, leave an inch (2 cm) of the dough intact at one end. Cut two parallel slits along the length of the dough, then braid the three sections.
  10. Pull the braid slightly to stretch the dough and wrap it into a knot.
  11. Place the seitan knot into the simmering broth. Partially cover the pot with the lid, and cook for 1 hour. If the seitan isn't fully submerged, turn the seitan once or twice during the cooking process.
  12. Remove the seitan from the broth and strain out the solids from the broth*.
  13. Store the seitan, as is, in the broth liquid, or shred into bite-sized pieces before storing.
  14. Drain before using in your favourite recipes. Enjoy!

Notes

  • †For best results, use a white flour.
  • * Tip: use the leftover broth and strained veggies in a soup!

Storage

  • Store the seitan, submerged in broth in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
  • The seitan can also be stored in the freezer, with or without the broth. Without the broth, it can be kept for up to a month. With the broth, it can be stored for 2 months. The broth will expand slightly during freezing, so be sure to use a suitable storage container.
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Nutrition info

Focusing on numbers can harm our relationship with food. Instead, our philosophy is to Nourish the Cells & the Soul. For specific nutrition needs due to a medical condition, consult a dietitian or physician. While we strive to provide accurate nutritional information, we cannot guarantee its accuracy. See our disclaimer for details.

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Yuliia Soloviova - Nov. 12, 2024, 8 p.m.

I definitely want try what this thing is. Thank you

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Dian - Nov. 7, 2024, 8:42 a.m.

Would love to try this. For a disability friendly version, do you think a stand mixer with dough hook could work for the kneading? Perhaps a k paddle might work better for the watery kneading? Hmmm! Might make a mess but looks tasty enough to try.

PUL small logo PUL Team - Nov. 7, 2024, 5:16 p.m.

Hey Dian, thanks for the question and interest in the washed flour seitan recipe 🥰 We haven't tried it ourselves, but imagine it would get very messy. A stand mixer with a dough hook could help with the first kneading step to develop the gluten, but for the washing part, it might get a bit messy with the water and all. A K paddle might work better for that step, but it could still be splattery. If you want to avoid the mess altogether, using vital wheat gluten instead of washed flour is a great option— it’s much easier and still super tasty! In case it helps, we have a recipe called "Homemade Seitan - Mock Meat" that might be a simpler version 🤗

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Inu - Oct. 25, 2024, 9:40 p.m.

Amazing and tasty seitan recipe!!❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

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Maria - Sept. 24, 2024, 10:48 a.m.

My first time making seitan and I'm pleasantly surprised how easy it was (I'm attributing the difficulties I ran into to my lack of knowledge in this area rather than the recipe itself). My kitchen needed as much of a wash as the dough, afterwards, but it was so much fun kneading and playing kitchen scientist 🤭
My Seitan ballooned like crazy in the pot, I'm not sure if that's normal, but maybe next time I'll just wash and knead it more to get a firmer consistency.
I've flash-fried a big chunk of it for a sandwich and I would've probably thought it was meat, had I not made it myself. So that's a success! And the broth is really tasty, too. I'll freeze it and use it as a base for some rich wintery gravies :)

PUL small logo PUL Team - Sept. 24, 2024, 4:44 p.m.

Hi Maria, we're so happy to heat that the washed flour seitan recipe was enjoyed 🙌 The ballooning is normal and can happen during cooking, especially if there's air trapped inside. Extra kneading, washing, and a good knot at the end should help with the texture next time. Happy cooking!

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caramella - Sept. 23, 2024, 8:41 p.m.

I would love this recipe however it didn’t go well. I got wholemeal bread flour which probably was the mistake, however the recipe didn’t say if it needs to be the white one. The seitan was falling apart all the time. I will try next time the white flour though!

PUL small logo PUL Team - Sept. 23, 2024, 11:20 p.m.

Hey Caramella , we're so sorry to hear that the recipe didn't work out as planned! Although we usually use white flour for this recipe, it should be possible to make seitan with a wholemeal flour. It would result in a slightly different texture and flavour, but should have produced a cohesive dough. That being said, using wholemeal bread flour can indeed affect the texture of the seitan recipe. The bran and germ interfere with gluten development and are left behind during the washing process. We will add a note to the ingredient list to make our recommendations more clear!

caramella - Sept. 24, 2024, 5:23 p.m.

Thanks for the reply. Yes, the seitan became a bit jelly… not the desired texture really. But I will definitely try again in the future.

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Sonia - Aug. 19, 2024, 9:50 a.m.

Wow what a flavorful recipe! It took some time to wash the rice, but honestly the process was so fun! The broth was exceptional!

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Christine - Aug. 12, 2024, 3:02 a.m.

Is it possible to freeze the seitan in the broth after making it? Can it hold up well if frozen? This recipe seems like a great one to prep in large batches and pull out as needed so I’d be curious as to how to preserve the finished product for the longest amount of time. Thanks!

PUL small logo PUL Team - Aug. 12, 2024, 9:59 p.m.

Hi Christine! Great question. Yes, it is possible! We have updated the recipe to including the freezing options, but we have frozen this seitan with and without the broth and both were fine! We'd probably recommend keeping it for no longer than 1 month in the freezer, if you are storing it without the broth, but with the broth, it should last quite a bit longer. The broth does expand a bit during the freezing, so just make sure you use a container than is suitable. Hope you enjoy the recipe!

Christine - Aug. 13, 2024, 7:53 a.m.

Thanks so much! Great to know :)

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Astrid - Aug. 9, 2024, 10:57 a.m.

Quick question, how much water are you supposed to use for the resting and washing? I've tried this but I feel like mine came out way too wet and it wouldn't really stick together during the washing, causing a lot of it to disappear down the drain...Or is it more likely a problem with my kneading technique?

PUL small logo PUL Team - Aug. 10, 2024, 5:37 p.m.

Hey there, Astrid, thanks for the question. We didn't measure the washing water, but you lose quite a bit of starch with the first couple of washes. This is more so if you are using regular flour instead of a higher gluten-content flour, like bread. Some other recipes suggest keeping the washing water, to use in other recipes, but we chose not to do that for ours for now. The dough gets quite soft, especially in the first couple washes, as the starch is released. It might feel very loose, but should become tougher with washes 3 - 5 🤗

Maria - Sept. 21, 2024, 3:10 p.m.

I had the same problem, Astrid, and am very relieved to see that it's not just me 🤭 I tried to catch as much as possible in a strainer and kept rinsing the stuff that got stuck in there under some running water, which then became very stringy and "clean". The more of this cleaner dough I put in my very soup-like dough-mix, the more it started coming together, I thought. In case that helps anyone :) Only question I had was: Do I have to knead for 6 minutes with each wash before I change the waiter? Or just change once it gets too milky-looking? Thanks in advance. Looking forward to the finished result, mine is currently draining and waiting to be submerged in broth :)

PUL small logo PUL Team - Sept. 23, 2024, 4:44 p.m.

Hey Maria, you don't need to knead for exactly 6 minutes before each water change. You can switch the water once it gets too milky-looking. The key is to keep washing until the water is mostly clear. We hope this helps for now 🙌

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