Alright, let’s talk about making that chewy stuff you find in some dim sum, the gluten, sometimes called seitan or ‘mock duck’ depending on how it’s prepared. I decided to give it a go myself from scratch, just using plain flour.
Getting Started – The Dough
First thing I did was grab some regular all-purpose flour. Nothing special, just the cheap stuff from the store. I dumped maybe three or four cups into a big bowl. Then, I started adding cold water, a bit at a time. Didn’t really measure, just drizzled it in while mixing with my hand until it all came together into a rough, shaggy ball. You don’t want it too wet, just enough for the flour to stick together.
Then came the kneading. I turned the dough out onto the counter and just started working it. Pushing, folding, turning. Did this for a solid 10, maybe 15 minutes. You can feel it changing, getting smoother and more elastic. This part’s important, builds up that gluten structure. Once it felt pretty smooth, I put it back in the bowl, covered it with a damp cloth, and just let it rest for about an hour. Gives the gluten time to relax, makes the next step easier.
Washing Out the Starch
Okay, this is the messy but crucial part. I took that rested dough ball and put it in a clean, large bowl. Filled the bowl with cool water, enough to cover the dough. Then, I started gently kneading and squeezing the dough under the water. The water immediately turned milky white. That’s all the starch washing out.
I kept carefully squishing and folding the dough in the water. When the water got super cloudy, I poured it out (carefully, don’t lose the dough!) and refilled the bowl with fresh cool water. Repeated this whole process. Wash, squeeze, drain, refill. Over and over. It takes a while. You’ll see the dough ball shrinking, and the texture changes a lot. It goes from being soft dough to this weird, stretchy, rubbery, almost beige-colored mass. That thing is pretty much pure gluten.
You keep washing until the water stays mostly clear. Took me maybe 5 or 6 changes of water? Depends on how much dough you started with. What you’re left with feels kinda like… well, a rubbery brain, maybe? It’s tough and very stretchy.
Cooking the Gluten
Once I had my lump of raw gluten, I needed to cook it. Raw gluten isn’t very nice. I usually cut it into bite-sized chunks or flatten it into cutlets. The easiest way I found is just simmering it. Got a pot of water or simple broth going, maybe added a splash of soy sauce and a slice of ginger for a bit of flavor. Dropped the gluten pieces in and let them simmer gently for about 45 minutes to an hour. They puff up a bit and get firmer.
After simmering, I fished them out. Now they’re cooked and ready. The texture is chewy, kind of springy. It doesn’t have a ton of flavor on its own, which is why simmering in broth helps. But now, you can use it like you would use mock meat in stir-fries, braised dishes, or add it to soups.
So yeah, that’s how I went about making dim sum style gluten from basic flour. It’s definitely a process, especially the washing part, but kind of cool to see flour turn into this completely different thing. Takes some elbow grease but totally doable at home.