seitan too chewy

[pickle]

Hello
I am very new to this forum, so tell me if I am breaking any rules.
Anyways, I have been working with seitan, but in any way I try it, the seitan becomes too chewy almost as chewy as gum. Generally, I add some water, soy sauce, lemon juice and I try to make the seitan as dry as flour dough. Should I add more flour.
Thanks for your help,
dill pickle

[xrodolfox]

You seem to be using raw seitan.
it needs to be boiled in a rich broth for 3hrs+, then sliced, then cooked. Mine comes out fantastics.

[pickle]

You seem to be using raw seitan.
it needs to be boiled in a rich broth for 3hrs+, then sliced, then cooked. Mine comes out fantastics.
When I did boil in broth, it became quite soggy and expanded strangely, is that what is supposed to happen?
And after you boil it, do you fry it?
Thanks for your help,

[xrodolfox]

yep. boil, then fry.

[erfoud]

You seem to be using raw seitan.
it needs to be boiled in a rich broth for 3hrs+, then sliced, then cooked. Mine comes out fantastics.

3 hours????????????? I´m shocked! I had my gluten ball boiling for about 50min and some people in a spanish forum put the "Chewyness" down to overboiling.
Now I don´t know what to think...

[RubyDuby]

you can bake instead of boil or fry. If you add in some squished up beans and bake or fry, that breaks up the texture a bit too.

[xrodolfox]

You know what? I let my seitan sit for a long long while. Also, to increase firmness, I start with CHILLED water, put the seitan in, and bring it all to a boil. Start at CHILLED, end at boiling. That slow heating increases the firmness too.

That's why it takes my seitan close to three hours of cooking. I only boil it for less than 1hr, and then I let it sit and cool to room temp. That whole process of heating form cool, to boiling for less than an hour, to cooling back to room temperature all takes well over 3 hours. However, my seitan really rocks. It's firm. Not chewy. And flavorful. Delicious.

[erfoud]

Interesting! Thanks for the info, xrodolfox