Shop review #22 – My search for gluten powder (for homemade seitan) led me to “Het Gents Bakkershuis“, a shop with baking equipment and supplies in Ghent. (NOTE see edit below) The shop is more aimed at wholesale trade and opening hours for retail is limited.
Gluten powder or vital wheat gluten is not so easy to find in Belgian shops. I had previously bought organic vital wheat gluten in organic shop Biovita in Bruges (only available on special demand), but that was very expensive (+/- 50€ for 5kg, being organic). Last year, I paid a visit to Flourpower in Pouke, a small shop inside the Artemeersmill at Poeke to buy gluten powder (13,70€ for 5 kg).
I inquired beforehand to Het Gents Bakkershuis to be sure they had gluten powder in stock. And they did. So I paid them a visit at the end of 2015.
I found the wheat gluten powder, 21,62 for 5 kg.
Vital wheat gluten, 21€ for 5 kg.
Het Gents Bakkershuis is packed with baking supplies, from pie decorations to rolling pins, packages for chocolates, cakes and other baking or pastry things. I arrived about 15 minutes before closing time, and did not have time to check out all the goodies.
Gents Bakkershuis
Gents Bakkershuis
Gents Bakkershuis
They also sell a large selection of bread meal and flour mixtures. A quick glance over some of the ingredients left me in doubt whether they were vegan or not and staff could also not tell me more about the origin of the enzymes mentioned on most packages. So I’m not sure whether there are any vegan mixtures on sale.
Flours, meals at Gents Bakkershuis
If you’re looking for baking equipment, good chance is they’ll have it in stock at Het Gents Bakkershuis. When I visit again, I plan to take out some more time to explore the shop in more detail!
Gents Bakkershuis, location
Drongensesteenweg 68
9000 Ghent
0032 9 227 54 29
UPDATE Moved to Deinze in 2018:
De Tonne 93
B9800 Deinze
website: http://www.gentsbakkershuis.be/
Gents Bakkershuis, outside
wedding cake decorations, Bakkershuis Gent
Bread box, Bakkershuis Gent
Bakkershuis Gent
Bakkershuis Gent
Bakkershuis Gent
The Bruges Vegan 
Hey there.Bob’s Red Mill and Arrowhead Mills are two companies in North America that make it. Maybe they can ship it? Also, just in case you didn’t know, you can make it yourself from whole wheat flour. Definitely not as convenient though.Jennifer
Thanks. I avoid ordering in the US if I can, since it always involves unforseen custom taxes. There are some online shops here too that have it though.
I know the technique of ‘washing’ the flour to reduce it to the gluten, but it seems so much work, I prefer just to buy the gluten powder 😉
Great minds think alike! We just bought some gluten powder recently for seitan too; 5kgs is about £18 and they ship into Europe. Buying it online worked out cheaper for us, but might look into the ‘washing’ technique at a later date- the jury’s still out! 🙂
The washing technique seems so labourous, but we have never tried it. It just seems easier to buy gluten powder (even if I have to drive to another city to buy it – could buy it online also though, but visiting a new shop is also fun 😉
I’ve never considered making homemade seitan. Might you do a post? 🙂
Yes, maybe I will! Homemade seitan is so much cheaper (and often also tastier than store bought seitan! 🙂
That’s unfortunate that vital wheat gluten is so difficult to find in Belgium. I’m in love with homemade seitan too and will make catches of it to freeze.
I haven’t thought of doing that Meghan (freezing it). In fact, I’ve never frozen store-bought seitan neither. Doesn’t that change the texture? We usually make a portion that is enough for us to have two meals from (it lasts for a week or so in the fridge).
I haven’t found it changes the texture at all with my homemade seitan (I’ve never cooked with store-bought). I just freeze it in the liquid/broth I sauteed it in. I’ve never done baked seitan though — that might change texture when freezing. I think the key is freezing within the liquid. Not an expert here though!
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