Buffalo Seitan Bites
[Vegan]

To Make the Seitan:

1. Combine the vital wheat gluten, chickpea flour, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and salt in a large bowl. Add the broth, and use a spatula to stir everything together until a ball forms. Place the seitan onto the counter or other flat work surface, and knead it a few times to work the gluten until it’s springy. This should only take a minute or so. It’s now ready to use.

To Make the Buffalo Seitan Bites:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cover the bottom of a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, and set the pan aside.
2. Place the seitan dough onto the counter or other flat work surface, and form it into a log shape, and cut the log into thirds. Cut each third in half. Cut those pieces in half, and then in half again to make 24 pieces. Flatten each piece into a nugget shape about 1/4-inch thick. They’ll puff back up almost immediately, and that’s fine. After they puff back up, they should be about 1/2 inch thick.
3. Place each seitan nugget onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between the pieces. Spray the seitan with oil spray and cover the whole sheet with foil, making a tight seal.
4. Bake the seitan for 10 minutes. Remove the nuggets from the oven, uncover the baking sheet, and flip over each piece. Re-cover the pan, and cook the seitan for another 10 minutes. Remove the nuggets from the oven, uncover the baking sheet, and allow the seitan to cool to the touch. While the seitan cools, prepare your sauce coating. Add 1 tablespoon of the hot sauce to a shallow bowl, and set the rest aside. Add the milk to the tablespoon of sauce, and whisk them to combine.
5. In another shallow bowl, combine the flour, salt, and pepper.
6. When the seitan is cool enough to handle, dip each piece into the flour mixture, then into the milk and hot sauce mixture, then back into the flour.
7. Heat a thin layer of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add a few seitan pieces, and fry them on both sides until they’re browned. Place the fried pieces on a paper towel to drain and continue with the rest of the seitan.
8. Add all of the fried seitan pieces to a large mixing bowl with the buffalo sauce, and toss them with tongs to coat them in the sauce.
9. Serve your seitan bites immediately with vegan ranch dressing.