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 normally don’t even leave reviews but this is by far the best gluten free and low carb bread out here! Even my carb and gluten loving younger sister loved it. My mom started keto over a year ago and was convinced that she would rather just not eat bread than eat most keto breads and loved it too! Mine didn’t quite rise as well as the image but it still rose enough to feel like bread (it was nowhere near flat). The texture, smell, and taste is amazing. I’ve learned so much through your recipes and videos, Paola! Thank you for all that you do!
This bread is absolutely, hands-down, the best keto bread I’ve ever tried. Definitely “not eggy”, soft, moist, beautiful crumb and very satisfying. True (as other reviewers noted) the finished bread isn’t tall like the one in your picture, but it did rise to the top of the bread pan prior to baking, as the recipe states. I found that size was very filling for it’s size when I made a sandwich. I’m all-in for this recipe. It’s a keeper!
Thank you. This bread tastes like and has the texture like ‘real’ bread. I tried to bake it twice. On my first attempt the bread tasted great but did not rise well. The second time I decided to use a bread machine. I knew from years of gluten free baking that I could use the 58 minute express bake cycle on my very old bread machine. The newer ones have a gluten free cycle that would work will with this recipe that only requires a single rise. I did increase the yeast to 2 ¼ tsp. and the baking powder and the xanthan gum to 1 Tbs. each (for rise insurance). Still did not rise as much as your photo, but the loaf was done through the center and I love the taste & texture. So satisfying. This is the best keto bread I have tried. This will be my go to keto bread recipe.
If using a bread machine do you still need to activate the yeast with honey or do you just put all the ingredients in and let the machine do that? I guess what I’m asking is do you activate the yeast first or do you just place the yeast and honey in the machine or do you skip the honey altogether? Thanks in advance.
I would love to know the answer to that as well. Do we have to activate the yeast if using yeast made for the bread machine ? We have tried three times to make it in the bread machine and failed every time and had to throw the entire loaf out ):
I’ve made Keto bread in a bread machine, not using this recipe though but one from Keto King on YouTube (hope it’s ok to say that here?). You put the honey in around the edge of the pan and put the dried yeast in at the end, making a well near the centre away from the honey and salt, cover the yeast. It’s important your water is luke warm too.
I put all the wet ingredients in first. Then all the dry, except the yeast. I make a well in the dry ingredients and add the yeast into the hole. I added inulin instead of honey in the recipe with the dry ingredients. I set the machine for the 58 minute express cycle (35 minute baking cycle) because I have an old machine. Newer machines have a gluten free single rise cycle. I also have tried the 80 minute express cycle (48 minute baking cycle) to let it bake an extra 10 minutes and then turned off the machine at 45 minutes. I prefer it baked the extra 10 minutes. I use a rubber spatula to help mix the ingredients down the sides and up from the bottom during the mixing cycle.
Just before the rising cycle I take out the mixing knob and smooth the top of the loaf.
One more thing I learned from trial and error. Flax seed can go rancid and make the loaf taste funny and fishy. I grind the seeds just before using and keep the sliced bread in the freezer to stay fresh. I toast the frozen slices as needed, and they are delish!
Same question about using bread machine.
I have made several keto breads using my bread machine. I use the bread machine yeast, and put it in with the dry ingredients. I put the wet ingredients) warm water, honey, butter, beaten egg in the bottom of the pan followed by the dry ingredients. I allow the bread machine to mix and nead the bread. Once that cycle has finished, I take out the neaded dough, shape it and put it in a greased loaf pan. Do the rise, and bake it in my preheated regular oven. Comes out great. Depending on the recipes, some deflate, while others keep their shape. (before keto, I did alot of bread, rolls using this method.) I find the bottom crust often came out harder in the bread machine(as the element has to heat up) to cook the bread. That’s why I use my oven. Also, some of the Keto breads really rise high(keto king bread) and I’m concerned it would touch the upper element. (my bread machine is also a convection oven, so it has an upper element. Hope this helps people thinking of trying theirbbread using the machine.
I baked the bread came out good although didn’t raise much. But but good texture but a little bit bitter. Y this bread tastes bitter at the end?
I just was bitter bcoz of the protein powder I used. I changed it for my take 2.
Have you tried doubling this and making it in a larger pullman loaf pan to get a larger slice of bread? Wondering how much longer it will take to rise and bake and if it will come out the size I am looking for.
Do you measure the psyllium and flax before or after grinding?
Cindy Martin… remember me? Vicki Rossano… u need to call me !
For some reason, my 3/4 cup flax seed meal seems to weigh 39 g, not 83?
Am doing something wrong? (Stupid😅🙄?)
I have not yet made this bread recipe, but have made many of your recipes. I must say that you have the best keto recipes of anyone, hands down! Thank you soooo much!
Thank you for this extremely detailed and well written recipe. I have had it bookmarked for a long time because I was intimidated by the ingredient list and all the steps … but I made it today and it was a lot simpler than it looked. It was all those necessary details that made it look so difficult. I am a former white bread junkie … I hated “wheat” or “whole grain” bread with a passion so I was skeptical of this bread; but one taste and I am a believer! It is delicious!! I made it for my husband so he could have a sandwich for a special treat. We’ve been Keto for 16 months and both missing a REAL sandwich something fierce. I give it 5 stars for taste and the well-written instructions, my husband gave it five stars just because he liked it! Thanks again.
Hi Paola and thank you for all these wonderful recipes! I was wondering whether I could replace the almond flour with bamboo flour instead? Will that affect how it interacts with the other ingredients and end result? Thanks so much
Hi! I make the gnom-gnom microwave bread recipe all the time <3 and wanted to upgrade to the this loaf bread with yeast recipe.
However, I always mix up active dry and instant yeast when I shop and now only have instant. I’ve read that you use 25% less of instant yeast, but I’m not brave enough to experiment if for this recipe you must only use active dry.
If it possible to use instant yeast, how should I adjust the yeast related steps? Thank you!
What can I use to replace flax seeds. I cannot have flax…
I also cannot eat flax and am looking for an appropriate substitute… Made this bread for my husband and it was a big hit! Sadly I can’t eat it 🙁
This is a very tasty bread, but no matter what I do I cannot get it to rise! I have made it perfectly as near as I can tell, including leaving my eggs out overnight to come up to room temperature. the yeast proofed fine with both inulin and honey, but neither one performed any differently. No matter what, I cannot get this bread to rise past two thirds up the side of the pan. Instead, I cut the loaf in half to approximate bread slice size and then cut the slices from these sideways. Works well enough, and it tastes really great, but I would love to get this to rise properly
Hi,
can we replace traditional dry yeast with instant yeast and how to use it?
Thank you
Hi I loved the look of my bread until I cut into it, any ideas on where I went wrong a huge whole all along bread inside just under the crust!!!
I do not use any protein powder. Is it necessary to add it to this bread recipe for it to work?
Can you use instant yeast, its all we can get hold of during lockdown!
How do you make it more tasty? The texture was wonderful but the flavor was more like plant like needed a little extra to taste like bread, did it need it more salt? More butter ? Sugar? I don’t know it was kind of bitter 🤷🏼♀️. But I covered the bad flavor when i ate it with a hamburger pattie with mustard and ketchup also I did strawberry jam on it and it doesn’t taste bad but by itself is just bitter 🤷🏼♀️
Making this bread for the 4th time now, love it so much! TY Paola. Best low carb bread out there. Adore the hamburger buns too.
Pro tip tho; do not try to whip up a double batch with your stand mixer… You’ll spend hours cleaning your kitchen 🤣🤣🤣 This dough is sticky 😬
Much love from Curaçao ❤️
PS; your keto chocolate brownies ROCK!!!
PPS; forgot to give you the 17 star rating 🤪
Ahahahaha omg the times I’ve spent cleaning my kitchen walls….! I’m so happy you enjoyed Petra!
This is my fifth keto bread recipe to try and this is one is definitely the best so far! Most recipes call for much more almond flour which indeed makes it too dense. Even my non-keto, non-diabetic daughter loves this, thank you!
Any keto soft bun recipies from the same maker?
Made it! Love it! I used real maple syrup. My loaf turned out beautiful and delicious. Definitely a keeper! I don’t see an option to attach a picture, but my loaf is beautiful.
Can this be made into cinnamon/raisin bread?
Ok, so I’ve made this bread 3 times today. Each was no where near as fluffy and light as it should be. They took a whileeee to prove. At an hour and a half, I realized it was not rising anymore… the first one was like dense steamed dough in the middle. The 2nd was better… I let the 2nd yeast sit a little while longer (about 15 minutes until it was much foamier. It was slightlyy less dense than the first. I even tried to cook them longer to no avail. For both of those times I COULD NOT get the egg/ACV/butter mixture to lighten or froth at all, soooo on attempt 3, I whipped the eggs separately from the butter and ACV, and I bloomed a little more fast action yeast to add. This was my best attempt! But it was still quite dense 😭 Help!!! Does anyone know any tips or tricks?? I’m a pretty skilled cook, but baking is about precision, and I don’t fully understand the ratios. Can I add more baking soda or baking powder?? Thanks in advance!
Mix everything else well, but hold vinegar till last. Once it is added, do a time or two around with the beaters and let that be it. The vinegar reacts chemically with the baking powder to cause the rise. You want it in your pan when that happens.
Paola,
YOU ROCK! This tastes amazingly like bread and not eggy at all. You are our new favorite person.
OMG I love this bread! I’ve been Keto for 9 months and couldn’t tolerate normal bread before that. I’ve missed decent bread so much!
I have tried other Keto bread recipes without yeast and they were all so stodgy and disappointing.
Then I tried Paola’s Hot Cross bun’s with yeast the other week and they were incredible so I decided to try this bread.
It was quite chilly here yesterday in the UK and although I proved the bread in the cupboard above the oven for 90 minutes, I think it could have done with being a bit warmer but the brad did rise quite nicely.
I have one question: I miss seeded bread, with pumpkin, sunflower, linseeds etc, has anyone included seeds in their dough, would it affect the finished bread?
It will likely make it denser Celeste (they’ll weigh down the dough). The same thing happens with regular breads though, that’s why ‘seeded breads’ are always denser xo!
Is there any way to make this dairy free, not just lactose free?
Ghee and whey will not work for someone with a dairy allergy, just a lactose intolerance.
im so excited to try this recipes!!! i cannot find the video for this recipes. would you mind giving me the video link? Thank you!
I too have not been able to find any of the video links to the recipes. Very excited to try these recipes but would like to see the video first. Thanks!
You guys are probably using ad blockers, am I right? 😉
No ad blocker. The video I see is for your focaccia bread not for this bread.
I have made this bread 5 times now and it’s amazing. It’s perfect and I prefer it over regular bread!
Wow this bread is amazing! It has a nice rise although it took 1-1/2 hours for mine to rise enough, probably because I keep my house cooler in the winter so I think next time I’ll need to heat the oven on low then turn it off to let the bread rise better. But the taste and the crumb on this bread is by far the best I’ve had for keto bread, great flavor! I followed the recipe exactly and didn’t have any other issues. I’m so happy to find a good tasting bread I can enjoy – thank you = )
Hi Paola!
Thank you for the great recipe! I am experimenting with a coconut flour sourdough starter. It’s only been “cooking” for about a week, but is beginning to get nice and yeasty and sour. Do you think this recipe could be converted to work with the sourdough starter? I swear that sourdough bread is the thing I miss the most on keto! With a regular bread dough, you would add about a cup of the sourdough and take out 1/2 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of water. How do you think I could work that formula into this recipe? Any ideas? Thank you!!
I am hoping to do this too! Have you tried it yet?
Janene, I would love to hear how to make sourdough starter with coconut flour! And I’d love to hear how this recipe turns out with it. Could you please share? Thanks!
Hi , do you need to use the whey protien can you sub for collagen
I am curious about this also. I am making this today but I have no whey…so what do you say? (Lol) But seriously, please help. 😁