If you’re like me, you’re always on the lookout for healthy, easy-to-make ingredients. That’s why I love raw gluten! Gluten is a protein found in wheat and other grains, and it’s what gives bread its chewiness. But did you know you can make it at home from scratch? Raw gluten, also known as wheat meat or seitan, is a versatile ingredient used in many vegetarian and vegan dishes. It’s rich in protein and can be cooked in a variety of ways to mimic the texture and taste of meat. Making your own raw gluten is surprisingly simple. All you need is whole wheat flour and water. Plus, it’s a fun and satisfying process. You’ll love the feeling of kneading the dough, rinsing it under cold water, and watching the gluten emerge. You might be surprised to find out how much gluten is in your flour! So, why not give it a try? In this post, I’m going to show you how to make raw gluten at home. Let’s get started!
Ingredients
- 2 lb. whole wheat flour
- 1 qt. water
Making Raw Gluten
- Mix whole wheat flour with water into a firm texture.
- Make sure all flour is mixed well (medium to firm dough).
- Let set for 45 minutes (no less).
- Put dough in a colander and while running cold water, continually squeeze dough to wash out starch from mixture.
- Continue to squeeze dough, while at the same time, making sure dough stays firmly together.
- Keep rinsing until all graininess is removed and water is clear from rinsing.
- Cover with water until ready to use.
- Yield: 1 pound.
Calorie: 0
Total cooking time: 1 hour
Difficulty level: Easy
The Saga of the Squeezable Bread
A Floury Beginning
You know, not all superheroes wear capes. Some wear aprons and are covered in flour. My mission, should I choose to accept it, was to transform 2 lb. of whole wheat flour and 1 qt. of water into raw gluten. Sounds easy, right? Yeah, I thought so too.
First step, mix whole wheat flour with water into a firm texture. Simple enough. Mix the flour and water? How hard could it be? Well, let me tell you. It’s like wrestling a doughy octopus. One that’s determined to stick to your hands, the bowl, the spoon, the counter… and if you’re not careful, the ceiling too.
The Waiting Game
After finally achieving that elusive medium to firm dough consistency, the next step was to let it set for 45 minutes. Forty-five minutes of just sitting there. One could argue it’s an exercise in patience. I argue it’s a perfect opportunity to sample that bottle of Merlot you’ve been saving for a special occasion. If wrestling with dough isn’t a special occasion, I don’t know what is.
Waterworks Begin
45 minutes and one glass of wine later, it was time to put the dough in a colander. This is where the fun begins. Running cold water over the dough, you begin the process of squeezing the dough to wash out the starch from the mixture. Squeeze, rinse, repeat. It felt like I was giving the dough a bath. A very long, very thorough bath.
The Never-Ending Squeeze
I continued to squeeze the dough, making sure it stayed firmly together. It’s like trying to keep a water balloon intact while your mischievous little cousin is aiming a dart at it. The key here is to keep rinsing until all the graininess is removed and the water is clear. If you thought your hands were pruney after a long bath, try this!
The Finale
Finally, after what felt like a gluten marathon, I was left with a lump of raw gluten. But you can’t just leave it sitting around. Like a pet, it needs to be kept hydrated. So, I covered it with water until it was ready to be used.
The Yield
And the yield? A solid pound of gluten. After all that squeezing, rinsing and waiting, I was left with half of what I started with. But let me tell you, that gluten was the best-darned gluten this side of the Mississippi.
And the Moral of the Story Is…
Cooking isn’t always about the end result. Sometimes, it’s about the journey. The flour-covered counters, the pruney hands, the laughter as you wrestle with a lump of dough. This was a journey of whole wheat flour, water, and a whole lot of squeezing. But every time I look at that pound of raw gluten, I can’t help but smile. Because I know that I didn’t just make gluten. No, I went on an epic culinary journey, one squeeze at a time.
