Combine the soy sauce (or tamari, Bragg Liquid Aminos, or coconut aminos) and water in a small bowl.

Combine the dry ingredients — vital wheat gluten, baking powder, (optional) nutritional yeast, and (optional) seasoning — in a roomy mixing bowl. Stir together thoroughly.

Gradually add the liquid to the dry ingredients to form a stiff dough, stirring with a spoon at first, and then working together with your hands. Drizzle in a little more water if need be; you want all the dry ingredients to be moistened, while making sure the dough remains stiff. Once the wet and dry mixtures are combined, knead for 2 to 3 minutes.

Allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes or so in either bowl; cover with a clean tea towel.

For the broth: Fill a roomy soup pot about ⅔ full with water. Add the bouillon cube(s), soy sauce (or tamari, Bragg liquid aminos, or coconut aminos), and ginger. Bring to a slow boil.

Divide the rested dough into two parts and stretch into two mini-loaf shapes. It's not easy to shape and cut this springy dough, but don't worry! With a sharp, serrated knife, slice into ½-inch-thick (at most) segments. Kitchen shears work even better! Don't make the pieces too large, and don't worry about the shapes, it will all come out well even if the pieces are irregular.

After the water in the soup pot has come to a slow boil, gently drop in each slice of dough. Return to a gentle simmer. Within a couple of minutes, the dough is going to puff up and look like it’s threatening to escape the cooking pot! It will settle back; keep pushing the pieces down into the water with a wooden spoon.

Cook the dough, which we can now call seitan, for 30 minutes.

Scoop the seitan that you plan to use right away out of the broth. Place on a cutting board, and cut into strips or small chunks when cool enough to handle. See storage tips in Notes, below.

Once you’re ready to cook with the seitan, squeeze as much of the liquid out it as you can, as that will result in a better texture and allow it to soak in the flavors of whatever you’re cooking it with.