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!
I would also like to know if you can substitute flax or chia egg(s) for the real eggs. My husband is severely allergic to eggs and I am trying to find egg free keto recipes.
You can make an egg replacer with water and corn starch if that’s something you’d be able to try. Ask Google it’s very simple and works great!
Great recipe – thank you. I love that you want us to “cuddle” our bread. I’m assuming you meant coddle – but, I did cuddle it just to be sure.
Thanks again. You’re making my life so much easier.
Lol Deanna! I literally mean cuddle… as in please treat your breads like a newborn baby (i.e. with care!) and give it some love 😉
This recipe looks amazing – I’ve read multiple comments with my same question that has not been answered yet. I am super dairy sensitive and can’t do whey protein isolate. Any options for substitution? Thanks so much!
Anyone have success with bread maker?
Hi Paola, this bread recipe is delicious, I use chia instead of flaxseed, I only have one problem, it rises really high but it drops while it cools down, any suggestions on how to keep it risen?
Do you mix it at high or low speed, and for how long? maybe that’s why it does not stay risen?
merci
Martine
I’ve no issues with Gluten, and want to use it in my LC bread recipes for a chewier texture. I mean, that’s why they use added Gluten in pizza flour. However, I’ve never been able to figure out how to do so. Would anyone have any thoughts as to how to incorporate it into this bread recipe?
I want to do the same ! Any luck with that !
I bought some from bulk barn and I am planning to
Add a table spoon ! Not sure if it is a good idea ‘n
Would it be possible to make this in a bread machine?
This was my exact question. We have tried making this several times both in our bread machine under the gluten-free setting as well as as instructed and each time we could not get the bread to rise. We live at sea level and I simply cannot figure out what is going on and why it will not rise. We would love to be able to use our bread machine as well but either way we have had difficulty and would love to know if anyone can help.
Hi Daphne! It’s likely because this ‘bread’ needs a higher temperature to rise properly, and your machine isn’t providing it :-S
My dough has been sitting for about 45 mins and doesn’t look like it’s risen at all. I meticulously measured and used a thermometer to make sure my water was right temp. Mixed frozen dry active yeast that I bought about a month ago with inulin and set timer for 7 minutes. What did I do wrong?
Can you replace the flaxseed meal for chia seeds and if so how much? Thank you!
Bobs red mill dry yeast is unavailable. Do you have another suggestion?
Oh dear… it looks like any type of instant yeast is sold out everywhere (I’m running out and can’t find it ANYWHERE!) :-S
A friend did suggest I check with local bakeries as some of them are selling ingredients!
Someone told me it’s easy to make your own yeast, try Google the recipe, I’ve never tried it myself though
Hi,
Made your recipe twice but not much rise. I am at 4,000 ft. So placed in room with space heater to keep temp warm and warm even. Should I add another whole egg or more yeast?
Thx!
Beth
Hi,
I’ve made twice now and only getting a slight bit of rise. I am at 4,000 ft so I placed in a room with a heater to keep temps nice and warm. The bread tastes yummy but wish I could get a bit more rise. Should I add two whole eggs instead of one? Or more yeast?
I’ve made this twice and it’s heavenly!! Has anyone tried making rolls instead of a loaf? I’d love to try but ingredients are scarce so I don’t want to waste anything!! Second time it rose more when I cut the vinegar back to one tsp. Hoping to get it fluffier each time but I still love it
Thank you!!!
Search the blog for the burger buns Susan! They are generally even easier than the loaf in terms of rise 😉
Hi! Can you replace the whey protein isolate with pea protein?
Thanks!
This is exactly my question too. I only have pea protein here
Question, is arrowroot and tapioca flour interchangeable? I have tapioca flour but no arrowroot.
Can this be made without the eggs? Or with an egg substitute?
I would also like to know if you can substitute flax or chia egg(s) for the real eggs. My husband is severely allergic to eggs and I am trying to find egg free keto recipes.
Hello Ms. van der Hulst, I realize the sugars are necessary to feed the yeast but can I cut it in half. I literally hate any sweet taste in my bread. Most people can’t taste sugar or sweet in bread, but I am so sensitive I can. In fact, even a grapefruit is super sweet to me. I won’t even eat a carrot cooked because it increases the sugar taste and so forth. So can I cut the sugar down?
~Hypersensitive
The second time I made this, I split the flour 50/50 almond/whey isolate to increase the protein content. I also added a teaspoon of vital gluten. The bread turned out even better than the first, with no noticeable collapsing after cooling. The texture is also very similar to regular bread.
Great recipe! I didn’t have cream cheese so I used cottage cheese with a few drops of vinegar. I also replaced some of the almond flour with 50/50 why/pea isolate to increase the protein content. The bread collapsed a bit after cooling, but still soft, moist, fluffy, and yummy!
Hi! Wondering how many grams a slice is for portioning?
Tried sifting through the comments, sorry if it’s been asked already. Thanks!
I tried your recipe no trouble with bread rising ! But it wasn’t soft and fluffy it’s actually very dense. Did I do anything wrong not sure 🤔?
I make it all the time and I would agree, more dense than fluffy. But tastes like good wheat bread.
Same, it did rise but did no more rising in the oven. Really dense, I am not in high elevation either. Everything at room temp, reground everything to make sure it was fine. Tastes awesome though.
Guys, as mentioned, keto breads don’t rise much in the oven! This is why it’s CRUCIAL that it actually does double in size while proofing xo!
I didn’t notice it after that it is “Golden Flaxseed Meal” and used only regular. Why does it need to be Golden? They are in the oven now.
PS can you buy a hard copy of your cook book?
Me too. However, it tasted great. Its the best keto bread for me so far. Tastes like real bread. Will definitely try it again
This is my 2nd attempt in a week to follow this recipe. For the 2nd attempt I bought all new ingredients. I still can’t get the bread to rise as viewed on the site before baking it. The first time I thought it was because when whipping the eggs didn’t get frothy but he same happened the 2nd time. So I give up on this recipe.🙁
I’ve made this bread lots of times now…usually two at a time. Well worth the effort. Equally as good a a little quicker is your cornbread , which I make in loaf tin…very tasty both of them. Thanks Paola for your wonderful recipes
Is there a substitute for whey protein? Whey protein messes with me
We are keto, but allergic to dairy, Paola. Any thoughts on subs for whey protein isolate?
I love! Your posts & am sooo happy you were able to ditch the wheelchair! Positive thoughts to you!
BEST KETO BREAD EVER! I’m eating it warm from the oven right now. So good. Can’t wait to toast some in the morning. Thanks so much, Paola!
Hi – I’ve tried this bread twice and am still trying for a better loaf. My question is – do I measure the flaxseed meal and psyllium husk BEFORE or AFTER the grinding? So for the capitalization, but I can’t figure out how to underscore or make italics here. (Honestly, I’m not yelling!) And yes, I’m old. Thanks.
Since you are weighing the flaxseed meal and psyllium husk, I do not believe it makes any difference when you weigh them. If measuring by volume then I can see where it would be different. I just weigh them AFTER grinding.
Hello! Thanks so much for your wonderful recipe 🙂
I wanted to check – is it possible to replace Whey Protein Isolate with Whey Protein Concentrate? It is a bit cheaper and more affordable if I plan to make this bread every week!
Many thanks
Sushma
Does this have a ginger taste? That is usually a strong taste, so I wondered how that would work well for regular bread?
I made this yesterday and I can’t taste the ginger, it’s only 1/4 teaspoon
Question: If using instant yeast, do you still need to add the 120ml water? Thanks.