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!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
and some food (for thought) 👁️
a newsletter about functional food to nourish, create and evolve.
(p.s. we don’t talk about fight club 🪄 )
xo! Paola
I just made this bread again. It is so delicious! When I pulled out my ingredients, I only had 1 1/4 C almond flour. To compensate, I upped the ground flax meal to a full cup and added 1/4 C coconut flour. It did not sink much at all as it cooled. I just tried the first piece…the texture and flavor is better than ever! I’ll be making these adjustments permanent.
Is the video for this recipe available or is it just me who can’t see it?
I’d appreciate the link if anyone has it!
Yep, I’ve not been able to access the videos either.
Are you guys running ad blockers? 😉
First time on your site, first recipe we made and it is without a doubt, the best bread I have ever had. 3 days later it’s still so soft and moist. This is unlike any other gluten free bread I’ve had, be it bakery made, store brand or homemade.
Thanks for the great recipe.
My pleasure Leanne!
Would it work if I use equal amount of weight of egg whites with liquid egg whites? I just don’t want to do extra work to use the leftover egg yolks.
First of all, I am so glad to read that you are doing so much better and were able to get rid of your wheelchair! Here’s to continuing good health.
I currently have this bread recipe rising. For the first time I used the US and metric measurements together to see the difference. My question is 18 g of pysillum husk was quite a bit more than 2 tablespoons. Which is correct? I am assuming grams.
Love this bread and because of it my husband is going to try keto! I have been waiting for this day for 3 years.
Thanks for all your wonderful recipes.
I’m wondering if it’s because your psyllium husks are whole rather than already powder? In my experience it loses about half its volume when ground!
Love this recipe now that I have good yeast. I found out my jar of yeast was not good. I did NOT refrigerate after opening as it said on label.
Also, top of recipe is incorrect. Says cook time 30 min (recipe says 45 to 55 minutes) and total time is 45 minutes. Just letting you know of Typos.
Gnom-Gnom is one of the very BEST sites for Keto recipes. Thanks for what you do.
At the beginning with the recipe it says cook time is 30 minutes and recipe says 45 to 55 minute bake
At the beginning with the recipe it says cook time is 30 minutes
This bread recipe has become my staple. It sooo good. I made a little variation, instead of ginger, I got the vanilla ice cream flavored whey protein isolate and it turned out amazing and so delicious. I am thinking of other flavor variations such as adding low-carb cheese pimiento or getting adding chocolate powder and dark chocolate chips. Would appreciate your advice on how far I can tweak this recipe for other flavor variations.
Just curious if this recipe can be done in a bread machine? I checked a few posts and did not see anyone else asking. So here I am
Thank you so much for your time.
I am also wondering about the bread machine? Please let me know if you find out.
Thanks.
Yes I would love yo know too!
I have tried it, but went back to manual preparation. This recipe makes a smaller loaf, there isn’t enough volume to fill my bread machine loaf pan. I love this recipe, it’s my “go to”.
bread machine?? Yes or no. Several people have asked, but no one has replied to this question.
Thanks in advance
I followed this recipe to make bread using chick pea flour (garbanzo beans) and it came out perfect! This was my first time cooking with yeast (like ever) and I was certain I was not going to get right but it came together perfectly 🙂
I also added some heavy whipping cream and used coconut butter instead of cream. I did this to make a healthy grain free bread for my kid and she loves it. Thank you!!!
‘Killer CRUMB’ …. ‘Deets. You sound flakey like someone trying too hard to sound smart and hip. 2 tsps of xanthan gum with psyllium will make slimebread.
can i substitute the sour cream with something?
I try this recipe but i use yogurt with vinegar instead of sour cream but my batter didnt rise. Not sure because the sour cream or something else
Hi,
I don’t have psyllium husk at home. What can I use instead of it?
Thank you so much!
Could this be done in a bread maker?
I’ve given up making any yeast type bread without one, I have a “black thumb” in bread making.
I just finished making this using the recipe ( though I forgot to regrind the ingredients as suggested and added garlic paste instead of ginger powder-whoopsies). I let it rise in the microwave with the light for two hours until it hit the rim of the bread pan and it rose a wee bit when baking in the oven. It came out so well!!! I have tried various keto breads (egg bread, fat head dough, and almond flour breads), this by far has the best taste and texture. It is yeasty and the texture is very similar to wheat bread. The taste is outstanding! This will be my go to for future bread baking. 🙂
Love, love this bread. Best keto bread ever.
The first loaf i made was perfect. That said i had a problem with the next two.
I wait until the bread is completely cooled before slicing but then he op comes off. It separate from the slice About 1/4+ Inch of it.
Would pressing down on the top when I pour the mixture in the pan remedy this?
Made this bread last night and it is AMAZING!!!! Thank you so much for sharing. Just a few questions. I am in Texas closet to coast So sea level. The bread did not rise as much as I would like. Can I leave it to proof longer? Can I maybe put 1 1/2 recipes in a bigger pan? I am not that experienced but I would just like a larger slice of bread. It’s a visual thing I guess lol.
I have found that rising is significantly improved when I followed what another review said about reducing the vinegar. I make a quadruple batch to fill my loaf pans and get two loaves at a time. That amount calls for 3 TBS ACV. It always turns out short and kind of gummy. I reduced it to 1 TBS and they rose easily an inch and a half above the pan lip. It was a thing of beauty.
Combined with a good long knead session with the dough hook and a warm enough rise environment and it should work out much better for everyone.
What about the ACV that goes with the sour cream? Keep the same when quadrupling recipe as well?
Thank you for sharing that great information!
Cool tip! I’ll try that!
She says to mix with electric mixer in recipe. I just assumed a pallet mixer, would the hook work.better?
I don’t know you, but I love you!
Thank you for sharing these amazing recipes with us.
You’re amazing,
🥰
Kelly
Wer love this bread recipe thank you!!
Can you double the recipe
First time ,I did it yesterday Jan 282020 …. and a BIG SUCCÈS
wonderful taste For sure I will do it again and I won’t forget to equalize the top .. To obtain a perfect bread
Have a question..how do you do with Inulin replacement .. quantity,dilution.. please tell me
My favorite Keto bread. Great toasted
Love, love this bread. The best one i have tried, beats all the other.
It rises beautifully. That said i have a problem. When i slice it the top separates; about a quarter inch.
Do you have an idea why this happens? Also i don’t cover it with a foil tent while baking and i wait until ir has totally cooled before slicing.
Thanks for the help on this
First off the bread is delicious – I ate gluten-free bread prior to going keto (partner eats it so I did too) but this is better than any gf-free bread I ever ate. I’ve made it a few times now though and I cannot get the damned thing to rise. At all. I’ve made spelt bread in the past and got a decent rise out of it so I’m not a complete bready novice. My yeast is activated, my temperatures are right. Ingredients are as close as I can get them. No lift at all. It’s a shame, but even the bricks I produce are super tasty and worth it just to have bread in my life again after all these years. Oh yeah, and it gives me wind. I don’t care. Bread.
I like those soft cotton gauzy towels to cover the loaf with. Sounds like you know how to
bake and are keeping it in a warm draft free location, so that is the only thing I can think of.
I have tried this bread recipe several times and still having a problem getting it to rise much at all. The flavor is there, but would love to get a loaf of bread taller than 2 inches. Even tried proofing in a warm garage hoping that would help. I have been reading about others using wheat gluten, which is pretty low in carbs still and I am considering putting 2 teaspoons into this mix as a rising agent? Just wondering if anyone has had any help with any particular rising agents that still keep the carbs low?
I am also just about at sea level. Not sure if this makes a difference I just wanted to add that since I am doing everything else the same including weighing on the scale. Thanks
Hey Sherri,
I had the same problem. I reduced the apple cider vinegar to a teaspoon and let the bread rise in my oven that I had heated to 170 degrees and then turned off. Then I let it cool for a bit until it was like a hot day. I also put a bowl of hot water underneath the bread like my Grandma used too. Works like a charm for me. Hope it helps you. I was so excited when it finally rose!
I have tried this bread recipe several times and still having a problem getting it to rise much at all. The flavor is there, but would love to get a loaf of bread taller than 2 inches. Even tried proofing in a warm garage hoping that would help. I have been reading about others using wheat gluten, which is pretty low in carbs still and I am considering putting 2 teaspoons into this mix as a rising agent? Just wondering if anyone has had any help with any particular rising agents that still keep the carbs low?
I am also just about at sea level. Not sure if this makes a difference I just wanted to add that since I am doing everything else the same including weighing on the scale. Thanks
I made this bread in the past and did not rise past mid-pan. I ran out of vinegar and got a cheap one at the supermarket and tried to bake this bread again……it raised past the pan! The apple cider vinegar had the “mother” that prevented my bread from rising! Check your vinegar and get it without the mother, it helps tremendously….
I use ACV with the mother and it worked fine. Are you sure that something did not happen to your yeast?
This is exciting. The ACV I use does have the mother. And my bread doesn’t rise. Heading to the shops first thing tomorrow. Thanks for the tip.
This recipe is fabulous! it has a lovely crumb and tastes just like bread.
Surely u ve no idea about keto
You suggest using rice flour as substitute ?
Rice flour is no keto and whey may spike massive insulin level
You need to learn more
I’m sorry, but who suggested rice flour as a substitute? 😉
Hi! Just wondering what the sub is to make it paleo. I don’t see anything listed as alternative to the whey protein. I keep seeing this recipe pop-up and get all excited each time only to remember it has dairy protein, dang! Thank you!
I saw arrow root substitute who is not keto
It was written clearly that you can use arrow root if in maintenance or paleo
Keto is not a person so the proper wording would be “which is not keto“.
Illiterate and perhaps uneducated?
I’ve made this bread many many times and it bakes and rises beautifully!