Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Drain and rinse tofu (but do not press) and break up into smaller chunks to fit the food processor.

Add the rest of the vegan ham ingredients, except the vital wheat gluten and blend until smooth. You may have to scrape down the sides a few times until everything blends smoothly.

Add vital wheat gluten into the food processor and blend again until the dough comes together, which might take a bit of blending time. Scrape the sides down a few times, if needed, and allow the dough to blend until a firm dough forms and doesn’t stick to the sides of the food processor.

Remove the dough onto a clean surface and knead it just a few times (around 4-5 times) until the dough comes together into a log or a rounded shape.

Wrap it securely in aluminum foil and place on a baking tray. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour, rotating the loaf by 90° or 180° every 15 minutes.

While the vegan ham is cooking, you can make the optional glaze. If making the glaze, mix together the glaze ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

When the vegan ham is done cooking, remove it from the oven and allow to cool a bit until it feels cool enough to remove the foil. If you’re glazing, keep the oven on.

If making vegan ham deli slices (and not glazing), simply allow it to cool and enjoy right away or refrigerate for a few hours or overnight to allow the texture to firm up to make it easier to slice into very thin slices.

If you want to glaze the vegan ham, score the ham (make shallow cuts) in a crisscross pattern. Place in a small casserole or baking dish (just a little bigger than the ham) and pour the glaze on top of the ham. Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes, basting (pouring the glaze on top of the ham) with the glaze every 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and pour more glaze on top (the glaze may have thickened and become more syrupy, and in this case, you can brush the glaze on top).

Cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy any time or as a holiday centrepiece!