Tender fathead dough rolled into balls and sprinkled with everything bagel seasoning, for a delicious and fun keto pull apart bread. This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill.
I am continually astonished at all the amazing things you can make with fathead dough. As well as all the variations of keto dough you can make with different flours, cheeses, and other ingredients.
It’s a never-ending source of exploration and creativity for me. Sometimes it works out better than others, of course. But this Keto Everything Bagel Bread turned out better than I even dared to hope.
Low carb mozzarella based dough is infinitely adaptable. I’ve made everything from keto bagels and garlic parmesan knots to cinnamon twists and chocolate filled pastries.
I’ve also discovered that you can use some cheeses other than mozzarella, such as in my Keto Dinner Rolls and my Pepper Jack Cheese Crackers.
What is Fathead Dough?
If you’re new to keto, you may be scratching your head, wondering what fathead dough really is.
A quick rundown: There is a little known low carb blog called Cooky’s Creations, the author of which invented a keto pizza crust using melted mozzarella and almond flour.
This became wildly popular after the creative minds behind the Fathead Movie published their own version of it. And since that time, every keto blogger under the sun has been playing with it, modifying it, and coming up with the most amazing recipes using it.
Myself included. I’ve done any number of versions, including my Magic Mozzarella Dough, as well as a completely nut-free fathead dough and cheddar based fathead dough.
Creating Keto Pull Apart Bread
My problem is that I can’t help but experiment with a recipe. It’s a compulsion — I simply can’t make anything the same way twice. I have to see what happens if I switch things around a bit.
For this pull apart bread, I was inspired by a tub of sour cream in my fridge, as I thought it would give the dough more tenderness and perhaps a better rise.
I also used a combination of Bob’s Red Mill almond flour and coconut flour, as I have found for so may recipes, it gives the best bread-like texture and consistency. I know I can always rely on Bob’s Red Mill for top quality keto ingredients.
The dough ended up on the wetter side, which was actually beneficial. It rose beautifully and the dough balls melded together some during baking to really become like a true pull apart bread.
Tips for Keto Everything Bagel Bread
This recipe is as fun to make as it is to eat! Here are my best tips to getting it right:
- Prep your pan in advance so you can get everything into the oven as quickly as possible. That first blast of heat is what helps the fathead dough rise properly.
- The ramekin in the center is optional but it’s a cute way to serve the bread, so you can put some cream cheese or dip in the center after it’s baked. I actually got the idea from this Tastemade article.
- You can use pre-made everything bagel seasoning, if you prefer. The one from Trader Joe’s is quite popular.
- The protein powder is NOT optional. It helps the fathead dough rise and be more bready. Either whey protein and egg white protein work best. Do not try collagen protein, as it will make the bread more gummy.
- It can be tricky to get all the ingredients in fathead dough to incorporate well. Using a silicone spatula to really work them in and knead the dough up against the sides of the bowl really helps.
- Wet your hands when rolling the dough. It is stickier than typical fathead dough, but also more tender. Wetting your hands frequently will make the dough balls nice and round and keep them from sticking to your hands.
Ready to make this fun Keto Pull Apart Bread? It’s a delicious appetizer, snack, or side dish!
More keto “everything bagel” recipes
- Everything Bagel Cucumber Bites
- Everything Bagel Scones
- Everything Bagel Deviled Eggs
- Everything Bagel Chicken Tenders
- Everything Bagel Brussels Sprouts
- Everything Bagel Fat Bombs
Keto Everything Bagel Bread
Ingredients
Everything Bagel Seasoning
- 2 teaspoon poppy seeds
- 2 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon dried garlic flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried onion flakes
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
Dough
- 1 cup almond flour
- 6 tablespoon coconut flour
- ¼ cup unflavoured whey protein powder (or egg white protein powder)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 8 ounces shredded mozzarella (pre-shredded works best)
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoon melted butter
Instructions
Seasoning
- Whisk all of the seasoning ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Dough
- Preheat the oven to 375F and grease a round 8-inch metal baking pan. Set a small ovenproof ramekin upside down in the center and grease the sides of the ramekin as well.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, whey protein, baking powder, and garlic powder.
- In a large microwave safe bowl, melt the cheese on high in 30 second increments until well melted and you can stir it together.
- Working quickly, cover the cheese with the almond flour mixture, and add the eggs and sour cream. Use a silicone spatula to stir everything together, kneading the mixture hard against the side of the bowl with the spatula until mostly uniform.
To assemble
- Use wet hands to roll the dough into scant 1-inch balls, and place them in the prepared baking pan. Once there is a single layer of balls, brush them with some of the melted butter and sprinkle with seasoning.
- Continue adding dough balls until all the dough is gone. Brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle with more seasoning. (You can reserve a bit of butter and seasoning for after they come out of the oven).
- Bake 20 to 30 minutes, until the bread is golden brown and the top is just firm to the touch. Remove and let cool at least 20 minutes. Brush with any additional melted butter and sprinkle with remaining seasoning.
- Loosen the ramekin in the center and remove. You can use the hole in the center to add another ramekin filled with cream cheese or Boursin for dipping.
Yoyi says
Can I substitute vegan protein powder for the whey protein?
Carolyn says
You are welcome to experiment!
Norma says
Just made this recipe and yes, this bread satisfies that craving…….maybe there will be some left for my husband…..
Lynn says
Can you use silicon bake wear (placing a dish in middle) or do you need to bake it in metal?
Carolyn says
Silicone bakes very differently and may not allow it to rise and brown as nicely.
Karyn says
I’m allergic to almonds and coconut. Is there another flour I can use?
Carolyn says
Not in this recipe, no.
Hannah says
So excited to try this! I have whey protein isolate, which has lower carbs and higher protein, I will that work? P.s loving your emails and recipes, so amazing!!
Carolyn says
Yes, that’s usually what I use as well.
Rick Giuliano says
I will try this, but I had made your recipe that only use coconut flour and protein powder. No one liked it. It was sticking in our throats. Deeded water asap! Hopefully this combination will work out better.
Also, can I just put this in a bunt pan? And, can it be more than one layer high? Thanks!
Cat says
Just made this for Super Bowl today….still several hours to kick-off….I don’t think there will be any left by game time. It’s SO good…a little but of creme cheese spread in the middle and it tastes just like an everything bagel with cream cheese…Yummers!
Carolyn says
I am so glad!
Laurie says
Any substitute for the protein powder? I saw that you replied to another comment about using egg white powder, but I’m asking if there happens to be another substitute besides that? It’s ok if not. I’m just not able to order any due to finances and was hoping I might have a substitute here at home. Thanks!
Carolyn says
No, sorry. It helps them be lighter and not super dense.
Colleen says
Can you freeze the dough or the bread?
Carolyn says
You can certainly freeze the baked bread!
Annette says
Can this be made the night before & baked the next day?
Carolyn says
I haven’t tried… but give it a go and let me know what happens!
Julie says
If you use egg white protein powder, are you adding the same amount as the measurement for the whey protein powder? Do you need to reconstitute the egg protein powder first? I’ve tried only one recipe using the egg white powder, and it said to reconstitute with water. That turned into a ‘gloppy mess’, and while the final result was good,(taste & rise ), there were the odd little chunks of this mixture, which was a tad off putting. This stuff was expensive, so I want to make sure I’m using it right!
Love all your recipes, and so do my non-keto family!
Carolyn says
Same amount, add it in dry. Don’t listen to what the package says, I would specify if you needed to do anything to it beforehand.
Julie says
Awesome, thank you so much! I was afraid to try it before confirming with you. Looking forward to yet another of your amazing recipes!
Tiffany says
Dairy free/vegan substitute ideas for the protein powder. We’re not vegan but we can’t do cows milk or eggs, and I’d love to try this recipe.
Carolyn says
Egg white protein powder!
Maria says
A recipe I made last week said that using egg whites instead of the egg white powder would work just as well. I did that and though I couldn’t tell if there was a difference (I had never made it before), it was pretty good. Could I do that with this recipe as well? On a fixed budget and try my best to use all ingredients as specified. Thank you and love all of your wonderful recipes.
Carolyn says
I am sorry, but that is not correct at all. If you use egg whites in place of protein powder, you completely throw off the wet to dry ratio. In this case, it would make the bread mushy and far too soft. You can use whey protein powder here too.
Sophie Emmeline Smith says
Wow! Just made this and it’s amazing!!
Lynn says
I think I let them in the oven too long. Good flavor though just more crunchy. Check them early. Will make again and expect a better result!!
Rosa says
I just made this recipe. It’s very good. Definitely would try this again. I was thinking to use red sauce and pepperoni next time too. Thanks for the recipe.
Shaza says
Hello Carolyn,
Love your blog and amazing recipes. Can I swap sour cream with Greek yogurt for the pull apart bread? Thanks!
Carolyn says
Yes, that would work!
Ginger says
I made them exactly the way Carolyn says except I didn’t have the sprinkle for the topping so I just melted the butter, added a little salt, garlic and Italian Seasoning. They were so good.
I want to try something sweet with this bread next. Can’t wait. Thanks so much for what you do. Who knows how many lives you may save through weight loss from your delicious recipes!
Linda W says
I am gluten intolerant, is there anything else I could use instead of whey powder? It is not gluten free
Carolyn says
Um… I have no idea what brand you’re purchasing but most whey is indeed gluten-free. This is my preferred brand. https://amzn.to/3ELT7cX
Erin says
Hi!
Love your recipes, and I’m very interested in making your fathead dough, but don’t have a microwave— is it absolutely crucial?
Carolyn says
You can melt the cheese in a pan on the stove over VERY low heat.