Count on this gluten free and keto bread with yeast to be extra soft, fluffy and absolutely delicious with a killer crumb. Plus, with less than half the amount of eggs as your usual low carb bread recipe, this non-eggy sandwich bread will surely become a staple!
Note: this recipe was first published on April 9th 2018, but has since been updated to provide more deets ‘n tricks! And to my knowledge, it was also the first keto bread recipe with yeast on the internet! 😉
Gluten Free & Keto Bread With Yeast
Light, Fluffy & Not-Eggy (At All!!)!
Without a doubt the most requested recipe by you guys this year has been for a light and not-eggy keto bread loaf. And after quite a few takes, I finally nailed it. The resulting bread has awesome rise (nearly double it’s initial volume!!), killer crumb, and excellent taste.
And as previously mentioned, it’s not eggy, dense or crumbly. Think at least less than half the amount of eggs of your typical recipe, and a few other tips and tricks to ensure killer results. So while different from traditional wheat bread (because ahem, no wheat!), we’re still certain you’ll find this a keeper.
Plus, it keeps very well at room temp for 4 days and freezes beautifully. Oh, and you might also be surprised how good this bread is even without toasting.
The Deets
Making this paleo and keto bread is incredibly simple really. But, like with any yeasted bread, it does require you take care of a few details to ensure the best possible outcome.
And the one thing to keep in mind is that your bread will likely fall slightly post bake. Blame it on the lack of starch (keto flours are notoriously heavy and moist) and certain missing proteins (think gluten). Just keep in mind that I’m baking at ridiculously high altitude here, so if my loaf was still nearly double it’s volume after cooling- odds are yours will be even better!
Before rise
After rise
The Method
The yeast in this low carb and keto bread ensures a wonderful texture and taste. Now, how much your bread will rise (and fall!) post-bake depends quite a bit on your altitude. But note that you still won’t get that gummy and wet texture here of most low carb breads. Plus, as mentioned, I’m baking at over 7,000 feet (Mexico City here!!), so if I can make this keto sandwich bread work so can you.
On that note, I’ve since baked it in LA (you know, sea level!) and can indeed confirm that the rise is much better- but it does take a little bit longer (about 15-20 minutes more).
Weigh your ingredients. This will forever be a staple recommendation for any sort of gluten free baking here at gnom-gnom. As aside from leading to less dirty dishes, it will ensure consistent results time and time again. Remember that gluten free (and particularly keto) baking is notoriously finicky, and measuring by cups is anything but accurate. And if you don’t own a baking scale, measure with cups by dropping the ingredients onto them rather than scooping them out (which often leads to overpacking).
Ingredients at room temperature. Self explanatory really, but incredibly important (particularly for the eggs). If you add cold eggs to the mix your bread simply won’t rise much (if at all).
Proof the yeast. This involves mixing dry active yeast with water that’s just warm to touch (between 105-110°F to be precise) and inulin (which is fully keto) or an actual sugar (think maple syrup or honey) for 7 minutes until foamy. And before you scream sugar (!!) remember that the yeast will feed on such sugar to emit carbon dioxide, so it doesn’t affect the carb count. And yes, this is a scientific fact.
Avoid abrupt temperature changes and air drafts. Like with any yeast bread, you need to cuddle your dough. Make sure it’s able to rest undisturbed in a warm space.
Baking at high altitude? Yup, so am I (Paola here!!). I’ve tried quite a few combinations, and the one modification I will suggest is to increase your oven temperature by 25°F. You may also need to decrease the baking time by 5 minutes (I baked the bread for 45 mins), but that may change from oven to oven.
The Ingredients & Possible Subs
This bread does have quite a few ingredients, but you’ll find that most are staple paleo and keto pantry ingredients. In the list below you’ll find details on several ingredients and possible subs. But if possible, please do try and make this recipe without any subs. As out of the 18 permutations we tried, this one really was terrific and the absolute best.
Almond flour. You truly need a super finely ground almond flour here, as if you use meal your bread will turn out dense and oily. Super fine almond flour brands include Anthony’s (my personal favorite), WellBees and Bob’s.
Now if paleo, or in keto maintenance, you can lighten up the bread even more by substituting part of the almond flour (1/4-1/2 cup) with arrowroot flour.
Golden flaxseed meal. 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. Just make sure its the golden variety and not the regular (VIP thing!!).
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. You can substitute it with more flax, but your bread may lose some elasticity and rise.
Whey protein isolate. This one is an absolute must, as it will ensure your bread doesn’t collapse post-bake. Keep in mind that this ingredient varies tremendously from brand to brand, and I’ve only tried (and are super happy!) with Isopure’s Zero Carb Unflavored. Update: I’ve since tried this grass-fed whey protein isolate and it also works the charm (a bit pricier, but undoubtedly higher quality)!
Now, the cream of tartar and powdered ginger help to condition the dough to get an even nicer rise. Though note that you can skip them without too much detriment to the final results.
Looking for more keto bread recipes with yeast?! Be sure to check out our famous cinnamon rolls, extra fluffy pizza crust and rosemary focaccia!
Gluten Free & Keto Bread With Yeast
Oh, and if baking with cups rather than grams is your thing, just click on US Cups for an instant conversion. Though for best results we (highly!!) suggest you weight your ingredients here.
Ingredients
For the paleo & keto bread
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons inulin or maple sirup, honey, to feed the yeast*
- 120 ml water lukewarm between 105-110°F
- 168 g almond flour **
- 83 g golden flaxseed meal finely ground
- 15 g whey protein isolate
- 18 g psyllium husk finely ground
- 2 teaspoons xanthan gum or 4 teaspoons ground flaxseed meal**
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 egg at room temperature
- 110 g egg whites about 3, at room temperature
- 56 g grass-fed unsalted butter or ghee, melted and cooled
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 58 g sour cream or coconut cream + 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
For the paleo & keto bread
- See recipe video for guidance on keto yeast breads. And be sure to check out the post for full deets, tips and possible subs!
- Line a 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper (an absolute must!). Set aside.
- Add yeast and maple syrup (to feed the yeast, see notes) to a large bowl. Heat up water to 105-110°F, and if you don't have a thermometer it should only feel lightly warm to touch. Pour water over yeast mixture, cover bowl with a kitchen towel and allow to rest for 7 minutes. The mixture should be bubbly, if it isn't start again (too cold water won't activate the yeast and too hot will kill it).
- Mix your flours while the yeast is proofing. Add almond flour, flaxseed meal, whey protein powder, psyllium husk, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, cream of tartar and ginger to a medium bowl and whisk until thoroughly mixed. Set aside.
- Once your yeast is proofed, add in the egg, egg whites, lightly cooled melted butter (you don't want to scramble the eggs or kill the yeast!) and vinegar. Mix with an electric mixer for a couple minutes until light and frothy. Add the flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, and mixing until thoroughly incorporated. You want to mix thoroughly and quickly to activate the xanthan gum, though the dough will become thick as the flours absorb the moisture.
- Transfer bread dough to prepared loaf pan, using a wet spatula to even out the top. Cover with a kitchen towel and place in a warm draft-free space for 50-60 minutes until the dough has risen just past the top of the loaf pan. How long it takes depends on your altitude, temperature and humidity- so keep an eye out for it every 15 minutes or so. And keep in mind that if you use a larger loaf pan it won't rise past the top.
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C while the dough is proofing. And if you're baking at high altitude, you'll want to bake it at 375°F/190°C.
- Place the loaf pan over a baking tray and transfer gently into the oven. Bake for 45-55 minutes until deep golden, covering with a lose foil dome at minute 10-15 (just as it begins to brown). Just be sure that the foil isn't resting directly on the bread.
- Allow the bread to rest in the loaf pan for 5 minutes and transfer it to a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely for best texture- this is an absolute must, as your keto loaf will continue to cook while cooling! Also keep in mind that some slight deflating is normal, don't sweat it!
- Keep stored in an airtight container (or tightly wrapped in cling film) at room temperature for 4-5 days, giving it a light toast before serving. Though you'll find that this keto bread is surprisingly good even without toasting!
Can I use lupin flour instead of the flax?
Actually, where can I sub lupin flour for? I bought a lot and there’s not many recipes that use it…
This bread was very moist, I used no substitutions. The flavor was ok though. I’m not sure how you got that moisture out but this doesn’t look like it will get any drier.
Hi Sonia! If by moist you mean wet inside…. you get rid of that by baking it longer 😉 In baking you get rid of moisture by putting things in the oven love xo!
If i don’t have psyllium husk, can I sub by adding a bit more flaxseed meal?
If I wanted to sub oat fiber for some of the almond flour how should I go about it?
This bread was way too moist and I still think it was gummy. I’m not sure why or what went wrong. I weighed every single ingredient and checked all the tips and the video. I’ve made it twice. Same result 🙁
Have you tried proofing this bread twice? Wondering what that might do for the texture?
I have! Tastes better but doesn’t rise much the second time and texture is a bit gummy xo!
Glad I asked! Thk u!
Have you considered substituting Almond Flour for Raw Hemp Flour? This would eliminate many of the carbs (I have some hemp powder which is only 2.1g Carbs per 100g) and also reduce the need to use whey protein?
It would be a very dark colour but should result in a much lower carb bread. Even if you just do a 50% substitution for the almond flour it would still make a big difference to the carb count.
You would probably need to store the bread in the refrigerator to stop the hemp going rancid but it should be good for at least 4-5 days (and of course can be frozen).
I will give it a try and get back to you.
I finally took the time to procure all the ingredients and bake this bread. My husband was thrilled to eat a sandwich after joining me on my Keto journey two weeks ago. The bread has it’s delicious! Mine did not rise very much. My yeast was fresh and proofed well. I’m at sea level and I let it do it’s thing for about an hour. No big deal, I just expected more height – could have been pan size. I didn’t break out a measuring tape, just eye-balled it. Not too dense – and toasts well. Sliced plain with butter is not my favorite way to eat it, but toasted and smeared with fresh ground peanut butter and berry jam… Oh my word, it scratches the itch! 🙂 Tomorrow I’m going to make French toast with part of the loaf and see how it holds up. Definitely worth trying.
Lorelei, did you make the french toast??
You call for protein isolate but I only have Jarrows unflavored whey protein…concentrate, not isolate. Does it matter?
I overlooked that detail the first few times I made this recipe Judy – the bread will still turn out well and taste fine, but it does sink a little bit more while cooling if you use regular whey protein instead of isolate….at least in my limited experience.
Hi can I use a breadmaker for this bread?
I have cooked this about 5 times and cannot get it to rise at all. I’ve followed, to my knowledge, all of your suggestions, and other suggestions in the comments to no avail. I’m around sea level, bring everything to room temperature, putting all dry ingredients into the food processor, proofing in oven’s proof state (also tried on top of stove), and this thing will not rise at all. Do you have any extra suggestions to help ensure it’ll rise?
Hi Shane! I do promise that the bread does rise, so let’s see if I can help! Honestly it could just be that your yeast isn’t good? Have you considered that? Does it foam a lot when activated? Other than that I swear all it needs to rise is a little heat (a bit more than regular yeast bread). Anything else you can think of that could’ve gone differently? Sour cream at room temp? Eggs at room temp? Xo!
I have the exact same problem as Shane. I have tried the hamburger bun recipe and the bread recipe and I got almost no rise on either. The flavor is there, but I need it to rise more. I bought ALL new ingredients, eggs and sour cream at room temperature, they yeast proofed great lots of foam and I let it rest for at least an hour in a warm oven. My whole family has went Keto so I am hoping I can get this figured out and make big batches, but I really need to figure out why its not rising. Also I am close to sea level so altitude is not an issue and I am measuring everything out in grams with my scale.
The yeast is active, so I cannot figure out what is going wrong…considering doubling the yeast and honey just to see if that has any impact…not sure what else to try
So I tried again after reading a post below about the baking powder, that was the one ingredient that was not new so I got a new thing of baking powder and tried again. The lift was better, but still nowhere near the results in your photos. I realized my baking pan is 9″ by 5″ not the 8.5″ by 4.5″ you used. I think that would help get me a little more close to the dimensions I am looking for, so that will be my next attempt. I am considering adding another teaspoon of yeast and honey…thoughts?
I had the same trouble. I turned my oven on lowest setting 170 then shut it off when it reached temp. Put my dough into rise. As it cooled off, I started the oven again, only letting it warm up a bit then shut it off before it got to temp (with dough still in). Did this a couple of times. I should mention this was done on the buns. They rose beautifully and then I baked them. I left them for probably 1 1/2 hrs proofing and I am also at sea level. I am going to try the bread today with same method.
It was just noted by a Microbiology professor, in the comments above, that honey does not have enough sucrose in it for the yeast and will inhibit the rise. Try using the Inulin or just table sugar and see if that helps.
Hey, sorry for the delayed response. Was trying it out. Yes, it is all at room temp and we’ve tried a couple brands of yeast and they are all foamy.
How much extra heat would you say? Do you put it in an oven to proof?
If you aren’t sensitive to wheat or gluten, try replacing 1/2 cup of the almond flour with 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten. It ups the carbs a little but does give a better rise. I was never able to get a good rise or prevent post bake collapse until I made that one small change.
Check the date on your baking powder.
I’m so incredibly bummed! I also had high hopes for this bread. I had all ingredients on hand. This is the 7th keto bread recipe I’ve tried and was very hopeful for a yummy tasting bread. The consistency was great but it tasted bitter and almost rancid. It’s inedible! Any suggestions or ideas on what could have happened? I did use the last bit of my baking powder but its only a few months old and not past expiration. I thought the amount of FLAX (86 g) was an a lot but I followed the recipe to a tee! Please give me some feedback.
Hi Julie! The bread should in no way taste rancid… that is caused by one of your flours being rancid (smell each one, particularly the flax!) and like you mentioned, the baking powder. Remember that baking powder can go bad waaaaay before the expiration date on the package (I throw mine out every 6 months to guarantee peak potency!) xo!
Okay – Yes, it is the definitely the FLAX! I keep the seeds in the freezer and didn’t realize they would go bad if kept in the freezer. I will try to make the bread again with the Bob’s ground flax and let you know how it turns out.
I’ve had to throw out flaxseed before because of going rancid. I’ve learned to store it in the freezer.
Recently discovered your site- Big fan of your recipes! Wonder if you have experimented making this bread recipe in a bread machine? If not, do you think it would be feasible?
So nice to hear Vicki! Tbh I haven’t tried, but I do remember someone did and gave the details in the comments (I know there are A LOT… but you can search the comments using your browser for ‘bread machine’ and you should find it!) xo!
I do not see any guidance on how to make this in a bread machine??
Could this be done in a bread machine?
This yeast recipe is worth gold!
Thanks Paola for the US measuring option.
Hi – could I substitute the whey protein powder with egg white protein or other protein powder? I am dairy intolerant (not just lactose). Thanks.
Yes!
What can I substitute the yeast with?
Amazing ! Finally a good low carb bread !! Good texture and taste. I use yogourt instead of sour cream. Thanks for sharing !
Okay….WHOA! I had HIGH high hopes (for this bre-ad) Didn’t know how but this bread made a killing! Okay I’m done panicking at the Disco lol. This will definitely be a bread I do again. Even better than Dr.Bergs best bread ever recipe! Im gonna had some flavorful herbs next time. Some key things that I think helped:
1) All ingredients were room temp
2) Used my food processor for mixing
3) Ground ALL dry ingredients (no purple bread here!)
4) Proofed the bread with damp towel in my garage (I live in Florida so very warm) for 60 minutes.
5) Baked for 55 minutes, I live at normal altitude, close to sea level
6) Let cool for 2 hours out of pan on cooling rack. CRUCIAL!!!! Dont touch that bread or cut it! I put a thermometer probe to monitor temp. When it was close to room temp, 86°, I called it done. Cutting any sooner and you risk the bread being gummy. The cooling process is just as IMPORTANT as the proofing.
Thanks for the reminder about only cutting after bread is at full room temperature.
When I made -flour bread (so long ago) I remember the recipes said to cool out of pan for many hours (4, 5, 6?).
You call for protein isolate but I only have Jarrows unflavored whey protein…concentrate, not isolate. Does it matter?
Are the calories correct? 174 per slice?
Is there a difference between golden flaxseed and regular flaxseed? My local store has Bobs ground whole organic flaxseed and didnt know if it would make a difference. If it will then, i will have to order online.
When first going Keto I tried the reg flax, it tasted terrible to me. Tried the golden and love it. When I make any kind of bread I always use the golden..gives the bread some crunch.
Golden is much finer than ground whole flaxseed. It’s less dense and better in baking. I’ve made this recipe with whole flaxseed but used my mini-food processor to grind it a few times first. Golden still works better but the bread was still delicious, just a bit denser and darker in color.
has anyone tried shaping the dough into rolls after the 1st rise? or is it to sticky?
Is there any substitute fir the whey powder? I can’t get zero carb no flavor whey in my country. Maybe white egg protein?
Thanks
I would not use the whey powder because it has soy lecithin in it. If you have had cancer, especially estrogen positive cancer, you must eliminate soy from your diet. So this recipe must be modified for those who switched to Paleo because of cancer.
Lucy just a heads up that there are whey proteins that don’t have junk in them 😉 xo!
Yes but the one you link to does. It states soy lecithin specifically. We are paleo due to severe soy, dairy, and cane sugar allergies so I was disappointed to see it’s not actually paleo as mentioned but I’m going to try substituting things and see how it goes.
I link to a grass fed one too- see notes please! Xo!
Good catch! Thanks.
I am an estrogen positive breast cancer survivor and the comment about soy is not accurate. I have done extensive research and worked with my oncologist on this subject. Just FYI.
You are a wizard, Paola. Am happy to say this bread turned out so well. Although it doesn’t taste exactly like wheat bread, it’s close enough that I can fool myself. I’ve missed sandwiches and all the other breads I’ve bought ready-made or made myself (GF, LF and Keto) are just awful (IMHO) so yours was an eye-opening and joyful experience. Thanks for your hard work developing this recipe. AND, for sharing it with your readers!
I made this bread today. I followed all the suggestions for turning the meal into flour, had great looking yeast, and my loaf is only two inches high! It taste good, nice crumb, I’m betting it will toast up nicely, maybe make it into croutons. I live at sea level, so no altitude probs. Any suggestions? PS I have tried a bunch of “bread” recipes, and even tho it’s a flat loaf, it is the most like conventional bread.
I used to have problems with getting even wheat breads to rise enough and for me I’ve found that it helps to allow for a *lot* more time than recipes suggest (but check on it bc if it over-rises it will start to deflate), and keeping it somewhere that’s really quite warm. For this bread I’ve had good results letting it rise for ~3 hours on a seedling mat, but every home is different.
I had exactly the same problem — i.e., followed the instructions and ingredients to the letter and got a result that’s tasty but not risen enough to be suitable for a sandwich. There’s a gazillion replies to this post — did you get a reply that addresses this?
Same with mine (did not rise to the top of the pan and is less than 3″ high. Tastes OK though. I will try again. I did not regrind the almond flour etc but it seems you did so maybe not that. I have made yeast bread (with wheat flour) for 40 years so not an amateur in general but this is different.
This bread is AMAZING! I have tried several egg-based or fathead based recipes being on Keto and this one is seriously unreal. Super soft, bread-like texture that holds well and doesn’t taste like eggs AT ALL! Thank you for experimenting and developing an absolutely perfect recipe.
My family is coming for a visit in a couple weeks. I want to make this bread early. Does the bread freeze well?
Super well! I always keep slices in my fridge 😉
Hello. I’d like to start making this bread, but as I’m reading through the recipe and, toward the end of the directions, I see you’ve said to “place the loaf pan over a baking tray and transfer to oven”. I can’t envision what his means. Should I place my loaf pan ON a baking tray and put it in the oven? What is the purpose of this step?
Thank you for the wonderful work you do.
Barbara
I don’t do this step, and it turns out fine. I do drape foil over the bread the last 15 minutes to keep the top crust from turning too dark, but I have not found the need to place the loaf pan over baking tray.
I think she just means to have a pan underneath the loaf pan, on the rack beneath, just in case there’s any spillage since you let it rise over top of the loaf pan. 🙂
I need to stay away from dairy, can I use a pea protein powder instead?
Is there anything I can substitute for the protein powder. None where I live and shipping is insanely expensive.
You can get plain Whey protein powder at Amazon for about $15/lb – free shipping if you are a Prime member. That’s what I use for the protein powder and the bread turns out great (best recipe by far that I have tried, and I have tried a lot). I have found that many ingredients my low carb recipes call for are difficult to find in stores, for example plain whey powder or psyllium husk powder, and Amazon has been a great resource. You can get this stuff at health food stores, but it will cost you an arm and a leg, and like you, I don’t have any close by to me. A pound of Whey powder will make a lot of bread as the recipe only call for what amounts to about a half scoop.
Proofed the yeast. Followed the recipe. It did not rise. Ever. Waited and waited. Moved it to a warmer place, etc. Nothing. Had all fresh ingredients. Hmmmm.
Yes! There’s a huge difference. It has to be golden. It will be slimy and dense with the regular flax.