Easy Vegan Pepperoni Recipe

In a large mixing bowl, combine Vital Wheat Gluten, smoked paprika, Kashmiri red chili powder, red pepper flakes, nutritional yeast, coarsely ground black pepper, oregano, garlic powder, and sugar.
In a separate bowl, mix dijon mustard, miso paste, tomato paste, water, liquid smoke, olive oil, and tamari to create the wet mixture.
Gradually incorporate the wet mixture into the dry ingredients, forming a sticky dough. Knead the dough by hand or with a stand mixer for 6 minutes until it develops strong gluten strands.
Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes for the gluten to relax before you form it.
Divide the dough into two equal portions and shape each into a 1-inch (2.5cm) diameter log.
Wrap each log tightly in lightly oiled parchment paper, forming two neat round cylinders. Then tightly wrap them in aluminum foil, ensuring the ends are tightly sealed.
Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C). Place the wrapped pepperoni logs on a baking pan and roast for 80 minutes.
After baking, let the seitan-based pepperoni cool for at least 3 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Slice the cooled pepperoni logs to your desired thickness. For very thin slices, use a mandolin slicer. Seitan pepperoni is easier to cut thinly if you place it in your freezer for half an hour before cutting it with a mandolin slicer. I like to rotate the sausage as a slice to prevent tearing, so you end up with perfect, little circular pepperoni slices.