For those embracing a ketogenic lifestyle, the craving for bread can be a significant challenge. Fortunately, the internet offers a plethora of keto bread recipes. If you've been searching for the best keto bread recipe, you've come to the right place. This article delves into the world of keto bread with yeast, providing recipes, tips, and tricks to satisfy your bread cravings while maintaining ketosis.
Why Keto Bread?
A good keto bread should contain fewer than 3g of carbs per slice. Keto bread is a great option for weight loss when compared to the alternative. The best part about this low carb bread recipe (just 1g net carbs per slice!) is that it’s so simple. It’s so nice to have a loaf of low carb bread at your disposal when you’re on a keto diet. It almost feels like cheating.
The Science Behind Keto Bread
When embarking on a keto-friendly bread-making journey, the primary task is to replace all-purpose flour with a low-carb alternative. In general keto friendly breads are made of coconut flour or almond flour. These flours are used to produce a bread that is very low in carbs, and free from common allergens.
Almond Flour vs. Coconut Flour
Rather than trying to substitute coconut flour for almond flour, you are usually better off looking for alternative keto recipes that uses your desired flour, because they behave so differently in recipes. There’s no harm in adding a tablespoon coconut flour to this recipe while removing 2-3 tablespoons of almond flour. This gives it a slightly different texture that many people like. But if you want a cocounut flour-only loaf, we’ve created this amazing coconut flour bread recipe for you.
Key Ingredients and Their Roles
Several key ingredients play crucial roles in creating the perfect keto bread.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Yeast
Yeast - Adding a tablespoon of Active Dry Yeast to this recipe can result in a more traditional bread flavor. The yeast in this low carb and keto bread ensures a wonderful texture and taste.
Almond Flour
Almond flour - I was using combination of almond flour and flaxseed flour. I tried with super fine almond flour and with coarser and both work wonderfully. Superfine is maybe a little bit finer and gives slightly better structure. You truly need a super finely ground almond flour here, as if you use meal your bread will turn out dense and oily.
Flaxseed Flour
Flaxseed flour - definitely use it and don't skip it because that's a game changer. Use superfine flaxseed flour for this keto bread dough and to sprinkle on top. Flaxseed flour is giving that special smell and in combination with yeast makes this bread taste like a real bread. You’ll want to use golden flaxseed meal (we use Bob’s), and regrind the flakes in your (very dry!) bullet or blender until finely powdered. Great way to avoid slimy bread. You can technically substitute the flaxseed meal with psyllium husk powder, but we prefer the crumb much more with the flax.
Psyllium Husk Powder
Same as with your flaxseed meal, you’ll always want to regrind your psyllium husk. We always favor NOW brand as it doesn’t turn bread purple. Boiling water: Don’t skip this! The psyllium husk powder absorbs quite a bit of liquid and it needs the boiling water.
Eggs
Room temperature eggs - always use room temperature eggs, and not from the fridge. This is important for the bread to raise more. The thing that takes this keto bread from good to great is the separation of the eggs. You’re going to want to separate the yolks and the whites. The reason for this is that we’re going to whip the whites until they are fluffy. Beating the whites is the answer to the denseness that comes with making an almond flour bread. I’ve made countless baked goods using almond flour and the main problem I’ve encountered is how dense the finished product is. But not here. This low carb bread recipe combines fluffy whites with the right amount of baking powder, which adds air pockets into the loaf and makes it soft and fluffy.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Stevia
Stevia is our preferred way to eliminate the eggy flavor of this low carb bread. It might sound crazy, but adding a few drops of stevia to this recipe is the best way to eliminate the eggy taste. Just a few drops will do! We typically use 6 drops of stevia.
Other Ingredients
Butter - This might be the top way 🙂 Just add some delicious butter or coconut oil to the top of a slice and you will think you’re eating traditional bread! This recipe calls for melted butter, but you can swap that out for whatever kind of dairy-free fat you like best. Ghee, coconut oil, or avocado oil would all be great options.
Grated cheese - I love to add grated cheese to my yeast keto bread dough. Cheese gives something that is missing in usual keto breads made with almond flour and other low carb flours. These flours are gluten free and gluten is the "glue" of the bread. That's why in gluten free bread is great to add some cheese if you can tolerate diary.
Essential Techniques for Keto Bread Success
Mastering a few key techniques can significantly improve the outcome of your keto bread.
Separating and Whipping Egg Whites
The thing that takes this keto bread from good to great is the separation of the eggs. You’re going to want to separate the yolks and the whites. The reason for this is that we’re going to whip the whites until they are fluffy. Beating the whites is the answer to the denseness that comes with making an almond flour bread. I’ve made countless baked goods using almond flour and the main problem I’ve encountered is how dense the finished product is. But not here. This low carb bread recipe combines fluffy whites with the right amount of baking powder, which adds air pockets into the loaf and makes it soft and fluffy.
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto
Folding in Egg Whites
Now it’s time to delicately fold in the egg whites, preserving as much volume as possible along the way.
The Importance of Parchment Paper
I’m from the school of thought that there is no downside to using parchment paper when baking. I’ve never been upset that I used parchment paper, but there were plenty of times when I didn’t but wished I had. Line an 8×4 loaf pan with parchment paper and pour in the batter from the mixing bowl. We recommend using 8×4 for this recipe.
The Toothpick Test
Now you just have to wait… Bake your loaf at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, or until your keto bread passes the toothpick test: Stick a toothpick into the center of the bread and take it out. If it comes back clean, it’s done. If it has gooey dough on it, put it back in the oven. Remember, all ovens are different.
Troubleshooting Common Keto Bread Issues
Even with the best recipes, issues can arise. Here are some common problems and their solutions.
Flat Loaf
The two major issues that will lead to a flat loaf is not whipping the egg whites and gently folding them in, OR using almond meal instead of a finely ground almond flour. If you’ve tried everything and they don’t seem to be working for you, the next option will be to make a larger recipe.
Eggy Taste
There is a mild eggy taste to this bread, which we happen to love, but some people don’t like it. Stevia - It might sound crazy, but adding a few drops of stevia to this recipe is the best way to eliminate the eggy taste. Just a few drops will do! We typically use 6 drops of stevia. Adding ~6 drops of liquid stevia to the batter can help reduce the mild egg taste).
Recipe: Basic Keto Bread with Yeast
This recipe provides a foundation for creating your own variations.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 3 teaspoon baking powder
- Butter
- Egg yolks
- Salt
- Stevia
- Active Dry Yeast
- Cream of Tartar (optional, for whipping egg whites)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Add Cream of Tartar to the whites and beat until soft peaks are achieved.
- In a food processor combine the egg yolks, 1/3 of the beaten egg whites, melted butter, almond flour, baking powder and salt (Adding ~6 drops of liquid stevia to the batter can help reduce the mild egg taste). Mix until combined. This will be a lumpy thick dough until the whites are added.
- Add the remaining 2/3 of the egg whites and gently process until fully incorporated. Be careful not to overmix as this is what gives the bread it’s volume!
- Pour mixture into a buttered 8×4 loaf pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Check with a toothpick to ensure the bread is cooked through.
- Enjoy!
Recipe: “Wheat” Keto Bread with Yeast
This “Wheat” bread is the counterpart to our “White” Bread. This loaf bakes up nice and fluffy with great flavor. Don’t skip the seeds (here we use sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and chia seeds). When we’re getting ready to eat, we see and smell the food first. It stands to reason that if our keto bread smells like bread, it’s that much more likely to provide a satisfying experience! Pro Tip: The yeast is not used as a leavening agent in this “Wheat” Keto Bread Recipe with Yeast.
Ingredients:
- Almond flour
- Psyllium husk powder
- Baking powder
- Sunflower seeds
- Sesame seeds
- Chia seeds
- Salt
- Eggs
- Egg whites
- Vinegar
- Liquid stevia
- Butter
- Yeast
- Warm water
- Boiling water
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Add the yeast and warm water to a small bowl and stir to combine. Let it sit until foamy, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Whisk together the almond flour, psyllium husk powder, baking powder, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, and salt in a large bowl.
- Whisk together the eggs, egg whites, vinegar, liquid stevia, butter, and foamy yeast mixture in a medium bowl.
- Stir the egg mixture to the dry ingredients, and then stir in the boiling water.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan, spreading it out evenly.
- Bake until the loaf is golden brown on the top and bottom, and it sounds hollow when you tap the bottom, about 1 hour, 15 minutes.
Recipe: Yeast Keto Sandwich Bread
You need this yeast keto sandwich bread in your life! It has a wonderful structure, smell, and taste of real bread. Yeast keto sandwich bread is something I was preparing myself to make for so long time. When finally decided, I tried some recipes I saw on Instagram but I was not satisfied. I tried to make this bread several times last weekend until I totally nailed it! Adding ingredients, testing and tasting, it was a really long process but I didn't give up. I had a feeling that I have to make it! And today I made it again to be completely sure that this bread is the best yeast keto bread you can try! My whole house have wonderful smell of this yeast keto bread. Yeast is giving that excellent smell to this bread and it helps to raise more. That's why this is great keto sandwich bread. One more fantastic fact about this low carb bread is definitely crispy crust. It's just properly crispy, like a real bread.
Ingredients:
- Almond flour
- Flaxseed flour
- Room temperature eggs
- Grated cheese
- Instant dry yeast
Instructions:
(Instructions not provided in the original text - use best judgement based on other recipes)
Serving Suggestions and Uses
Another amazing thing about this recipe is its versatility. We like using this bread for breakfast sandwiches and as a complement to standard keto breakfast foods. It’s also great toasted. Definitely you can make a great keto sandwiches with this bread. You can cut it properly, it's not crumbly and structure is just right for rich keto sandwich. Food prepping is so easy with few slices of this low carb yeast bread. Just take few slices with cream cheese, pickles and salami and voila! In our house we love to put a thick layer of grass fed butter and keto jam on top. I love homemade liver pate and lard spread on top. Lard on a slice of brad is my favorite childhood food and we used to eat lard on brad very often for breakfast or as a snack. A thick layer of lard seasoned with salt and pepper!
Storing Keto Bread
Yes, it is ideal to store keto bread in the refrigerator. It is also good to not slice the bread ahead of time. To prolong the shelf life of your keto bread, you will want to slice it when you are hungry, and keep the entire loaf in a Ziploc bag, or a Tupperware container in the fridge.
Store-Bought Options
Store bought low carb breads will typically use a much larger list of ingredients. Some common ingredients in store bought keto breads are vital wheat gluten, oat fiber, soy flour, wheat protein, and more.
Where to Find Keto Bread
- Keto Bread at Whole Foods Market - There are a few different options in the freezer section at Whole Foods.
- Keto Bread at Aldi - Aldi has a new product called “L’Oven Fresh Zero Net Carbs Bread”. That’s right, a store bought no carb bread! It seems to be flying off the shelves since we have not been able to get our hands on a loaf yet to review it.
- Keto Bread at Sprouts - Sprouts carries a line of high protein, low carb breads under the brand name Chompie’s. We were recently able to try Chompie’s, and while it did taste pretty good, the ingredients are not the best.
- Local Keto Bread - The last option would be to find a local bakery near you that makes keto bread. If you’re willing to order online there are a number options out there for a keto diet. We’ve tried just about every type of keto bread on the market and without a doubt our favorite is The Great Low Carb Bread Company. Some of our favorites from them are their bagels and their dinner rolls. We order from them every few months and store them in our chest freezer. The Great Low Carb Bread Company has been making the best tasting keto bread since before keto was cool.
Keto-Friendly Bread Using Keto Wheat Flour
In order to get that classic wheat bread texture and taste with a total net carb count low enough to be keto-friendly, you’ll need to turn to a special flour. Specifically, Keto Wheat Flour. Though many who follow a keto diet don’t eat wheat due to its high carb content, there's nothing that specifically prohibits wheat on the keto diet.
Recipe Using Keto Wheat Flour
This recipe for Keto-Friendly Bread follows the basic sandwich bread template you may be familiar with: knead, rise, shape, rise, bake. Then devour.
- Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix to form a cohesive dough. I recommend kneading in a stand mixer, if you’re able to; the high gluten content of Keto Wheat Flour makes a fairly strong dough, and the extra horsepower is welcome toward the end of kneading. In addition, notice the use of the word “bouncy” to describe the kneaded dough. Because of that gluten content and dough strength, this dough really is springy.
- Cover your dough and let it rise for 15 minutes. That’s right - just a quarter of an hour. This short bulk fermentation is also why the recipe includes 1 teaspoon white vinegar.
- Lightly grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan. (I'm using silicone here, but any material will work.) Shape the dough into a 9" log (watch this video on how to shape a sandwich loaf if you need more details) and place it into the prepared pan. Sometimes I place the shaped loaf in the refrigerator overnight, then let the dough come to room temperature and finish rising before baking in the morning.
- Bake the bread for 30 to 35 minutes, until it’s mahogany brown.
This bread will last for a couple of days at room temperature if well wrapped.
Texture & Flavor
Texture: Overall, pretty similar! Keto Wheat Flour is wheat-based (it says so right there in the name) and thus has the gluten necessary for the soft, chewy texture you’re looking for in yeast baking like this.
Flavor: If anything, this bread tastes even more “wheat-y” than conventional bread. The earthy flavor comes through strongly, and I’ve found it complements traditional sandwich toppings like deli meat and cheeses quite nicely.