Post Punk Kitchen Forum

I've been vegan for something like five or six years (I lost count), so you would think I would be a master at something as simple as baking tofu. Nope! I suck at it. I suck at most things tofu related, but particularly baking. I either under-bake it me it's floppy and not very flavorful or I overtake it and it's crunchy and super salty. I've tried baking it with the marinade, but that makes it way too salty. Without the marinade it's too crunchy.

I'm in the hunt for a fool proof tofu baking method. We only have one type of tofu here - like firm in the states. I have a freezer and a tofu press.

I want to be one of those vegans that can easily pack a baked tofu sandwich for lunch and not be choking through it. Thanks, PPK vegans.

Whoa. Autocorrect errors like crazy in that post.

I don't have any helpful tips, only commiseration. I like my tofu to be chewy or a bit crispy, and haven't been successful getting that kind of texture from baking. Broiling or grilling works great and is usually much faster than baking. As for flavor, i don't worry too much about marinades and just use a sauce or spread on the cooked tofu.

i usually suck at sauteeing tofu, which i feel is even more basic. but i recently tried the wildwood sprouted super tofu and it came out perfectly amazing. like. chef quality.
maybe try a different brand?

I don't bake tofu super often, but I've baked until it starts to be chewy but still floppy and then I broil to get a little more crispiness.

I assume you've tried the italian and/or asian marinated baked tofu from Vcon? That always works for me. If I want it chewier at the end I stick it under the broiler for a couple minutes.

I also really like the latin baked tofu in VV. You baked it first with just a bit of oil and soy sauce so it gets a bit chewy, then you add the sauce and finish cooking it to get a yummy coating of flavor.

I also second trying a different brand. The Wildwood one is amazing! I suck at sauteeing tofu rather than baking, but I have success with that brand.

Have you tried the broiled tofu from Veganomicon? It is extremely fool-proof, and as long as you keep an eye on it, it's pretty hard to mess up. As for baking in the marinade--maybe just use less salty stuff in your marinade? You can round out the flavour of the marinade with stuff like lemon juice, white wine, broth, beer, etc...

This looks like a good method for crispy pan-fried tofu: http://herbivoracious.com/2012/05/how-t ... u-101.html

Here's a recipe I like: http://viveleveganrecipes.blogspot.com/ ... -tofu.html

It has just the right amount of marinade so the marinade starts to reduce as it's baking, but it doesn't get dried out. If you don't like lemon flavored things, I'm thinking it might be good with red or white wine instead of lemon juice, but I haven't tried it yet.

I think I'll try the broiling method! I have a new oven (electric) and I'm assuming it broils so I need to give it a go.

I would love to try a different brand, but over here we just have Alpro, Provamel and some stuff at the Asian market. All three have the same texture - like a firm or slightly less than firm tofu in the states. I would love to get extra firm, but I've never seen it. Actually the bigger bummer is not being able to find soft or silken tofu. Plus side? Regionally made tempeh! So I can't complain too much.

vijita, how do you use the broiled tofu from VCON?

I've never been able successfully bake tofu either, though I like what I've tried at restaurants. I can never seem to get it chewy.

Hmm. I always use my method (here: http://nakedveglunch.blogspot.ca/2011/0 ... iches.html) and it works out great. It's just a marinade and the baking, flipping halfway, but I do use extra firm tofu. You could try that method but bake longer since you are using medium/firm?

I was pretty terrible at it until I found a tofu I like (trader joes/wildwood super firm).

Also, I like the method in both Vcon and AFR. I found that baking at exactly 375 works for me. 20 minutes on one side, then 10 on the other. Then I get it exactly chewey the way I like it. The size of the slices makes a difference too. I like them about half an inch thick.

I have heard really good things about freezing tofu, THEN baking it. Supposed to do wonders for the texture.

But I have to say, it took quite a while to figure out exactly how I like it. Lots of hit and miss.

I almost always bake my tofu because whenever I fry it, it always sticks to my pan and I'm left with more of an oily scramble then crispy tofu. Sad. I like my mom's method of what she calls "caramelized tofu". Basically just tofu tossed in oil, laid out on a pan and then drizzled with maple. Make like 350-375 for maybe 20-30 minutes flipping once and drizzling with more maple. Sooo good and great for salads and sammies. Also, ever thought about getting a coutner top grill like a panini press or George Foreman? They're great for tofu!

I use my panini press for grilling tofu, and it works wonderfully.

In every which way! :) I'll slather it in a miso tahini sauce, put it in a sandwich or pita wrap, smother it in barbecue sauce, make the Greek tofu benedict from v'con, bread and fry it, chop it and top salads/pizza with it, and sometimes I just use extra lemon juice and some chili garlic sauce and broil it in cubes and just eat the chewy and zesty little chunks as is!

I used to be all about super/extra-firm tofu, but now I prefer the med-firm stuff. At least where I am, it is fresher, and the broiling or frying methods create a lovely 'fu that's crispy on the outside and silky on the inside.

I suck too. It always comes out soft and has no feeling of baked at all.

It might be that I cut it too thick (I have trouble visualizing what an inch is like), or that heating up the broiler takes too long. Either way, no baked tofu for me.

You can also score your tofu with a fork. That way the marinade sinks in a little bit.

A bit off topic, but you should be able to find silken tofu at Asian markets (if there are any in your town) or at health food stores here. I've gotten Mori-Nu at a Japanese deli here, and I've seen this brand at EkoPlaza, the BioMarkt, and smaller independent health food stores.

ETA: I see that there's an Amazing Oriental market in your town! They should definitely have silken tofu.

I didn't like baked tofu until I started baking it at a lower temp for a longer time-about an hour a side at 275-300F. I slice thin, marinate it in the pan 1/2 hour each side in a marinade of equal parts water, olive oil and tamari with some garlic, then bake it in the marinade. 2 hours is a long time to run the oven so I roast other veggies with it too..

I would kill for Mori-Nu! They definitely don't have it at Amazing Oriental. They don't have any aseptic packaged tofu there - only refrigerated stuff. I've seen a refrigerated kind that looked like silken, but didn't say so (maybe it's called something different?). I'll double check at the EkoPlaza here again. Last time I checked they didn't have it. Breda is a wasteland, I tell ya! I've been meaning to take a trip up north and gather some things ;)

These are available in some European countries:
http://www.taifun-tofu.de/en/produkte/t ... dGr=1&SA=2
http://www.bluedragon.com/products/ingr ... /tofu.aspx

Now I'm doubting about the EkoPlaza (just because I don't get there that often and may be remembering wrong) but I definitely bought Taifun silken tofu at the BioMarkt. The only place for sure I know they have Mori-Nu in Amsterdam is Meida-Ya in the Beethovenstraat. If you don't know if you're getting up North anytime soon, I could score some for you.

I'm actually going up there next month to meet up with a friend, so I'm going to hit up that place for sure! I <3 my Mori-Nu and miss it a lot. Thanks for the link! Any other good places I should check out for weird foodstuffs? Not sure how much time I'll have, but in case I do...