I know it’s hard to believe for many keto beginners, but you really do stop craving bread and other carbs after a while. No really, it’s true!
I’ve been doing low carb for over a decade and I can honestly say that I don’t crave any kind of bread anymore. I’d rather stick with protein and some low carb veggies. And maybe some keto cookies for dessert.
But while I don’t exactly crave it, I do enjoy keto bread from time to time. And this easy Keto Focaccia is one of my family’s favorites. Dipped in olive oil and a bit of sea salt, and you will swear you are at your favorite trattoria back in your high carb days.
It makes a great crust for Keto Breakfast Pizza, and I’ve used the dough to make Keto Breadsticks too!
Why you must make this recipe
I am frequently asked by new followers whether there is such a thing as really good keto bread. The answer to this simple question isn’t quite so simple. It really depends on your perspective.
Let me be very clear and say that I have yet to find any truly good store-bought keto breads. All of them are quite dry and flavorless, in my opinion, and most of them contain questionable ingredients. I think you are best to stay away from these.
But if you’re willing to make your own, and you are willing to let go of your expectations about it being exactly the same as the bread you used to enjoy, then you do have some delicious options.
And Keto Focaccia is one of my most popular creations. It comes as close to the real deal as anything can. And it has only 2.5g net carbs per piece!
Reader Reviews
“This recipe is a total winner! I have been a lifelong bread lover so after switching to Keto lifestyle nine months ago I was REALLY missing it. Until I found Carolyn’s bread recipes. Game changers! This one in particular is so wonderful! So close to what I think of for “real” focaccia. Fantastic texture, great flavor, totally dippable! The rosemary takes it to another level. This will become a weekly recipe for me. I followed the steps exactly and it turned out perfect. I watched her video to make sure I had the right consistency.” — Scarlett
“OMG! Thank you, this focaccia was so good, and with soup, on this cold winter night, yum yum yum! And, a plus, for a weekday, when I run out of hours, I can still manage to get a warm bread with my meal in no time 🙏🏼” — Jessica
“This was awesome. I sliced it and toasted it to have with an egg this morning.
The texture is so close to regular bread. Thank you!” — Amanda
Ingredients you need
- Keto flours: I use a combination of almond flour and coconut flour for the right consistency and structure. It helps avoid that eggy, rubbery texture.
- Protein powder: Yes, this is vital to the recipe, as it helps replace the gluten in this keto bread, so it will rise properly and hold together better. You can also use egg white protein powder.
- Eggs: You will need both eggs and extra egg whites. Using some egg whites made it lighter and more airy, just like real focaccia.
- Fresh rosemary: I love adding fresh herbs to bread. You can use rosemary, thyme, basil or any herb you love.
- Pantry staples: Extra virgin olive oil, baking powder, garlic powder and salt.
Step-by-step directions
1. Whisk the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, protein powder, rosemary, baking powder, salt, and garlic powder.
2. Stir in the wet ingredients: Add the olive oil, eggs, and egg whites and mix until well combined.
3. Add a little water: Stir in just enough water to form a sticky but cohesive dough.
4. Shape the bread: Turn the dough out onto a baking sheet lined with a greased sheet of parchment paper. Use wet hands to spread to a 9×12 inch rectangle.
5. Dimple the surface: Use your fingertips to dimple the surface of the bread lightly, then sprinkle with sea salt and rosemary leaves.
6. Bake until golden: Bake at 325ºF for 20 to 25 minutes, until the bread is golden on the edges and firm to the touch. Let cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Expert tips
How much water do I need? As you can see in the recipe and the video, the amount of water you should use depends on the thickness of the dough, which in turn depends the absorbency of the coconut flour. It should really be quite sticky and soft, but still somewhat cohesive. It shouldn’t run all over your pan like batter.
Use wet hands: Wetting your hands helps to keep the dough from sticking to them as you spread it on the pan. Keep wetting them whenever it feels like it’s sticking.
Help! My bread is dry. If your bread comes out dry, you may have baked it a little too long. Keto baked goods can seem very dry even if over-baked by a few short minutes. Next time, try taking it out 5 minutes earlier. It will still be great dipped in olive oil. Or you can cube it and turn it into croutons.
Sunflower seed flour: You can replace almond flour with sunflower seed flour, but your bread is going to be very grey. Make sure you add at least a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to offset the green reaction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Conventional focaccia is made with wheat flour and has about 20g of carbs per serving. But this keto focaccia bread is completely grain free and has only 5g of carbs and 2.5g of fiber. That comes to 2.5g net carbs per piece.
Many keto breads use cheeses for fathead dough, but this keto focaccia can be made dairy free. It consists primarily of almond flour, coconut flour, protein powder, eggs and olive oil.
You can store leftover bread in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days or in the fridge for up to 10. You can also freeze the bread for up to 3 months.
Serve it with:
Keto Focaccia Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup (105 g) almond flour
- 1/3 cup (40 g) coconut flour
- 1/3 cup (36 g) unflavored whey protein powder, (can sub egg white protein for dairy-free)
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp (0.75 tsp) salt
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) garlic powder
- 1/2 cup (108 g) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup (59.15 g) water
- Coarse sea salt, for sprinkling
- Fresh rosemary leaves, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, protein powder, rosemary, baking powder, salt, and garlic powder. Add the olive oil, eggs, and egg whites and mix until well combined.
- Stir in just enough water to form a sticky dough. Turn the dough out onto the prepared baking sheet and use wet hands to spread to a 9×12 inch rectangle.
- Use your fingertips to dimple the surface of the bread lightly, then sprinkle with sea salt and rosemary leaves.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the bread is golden on the edges and firm to the touch. Let cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Haven’t had anything I didn’t like! Making this bread today for Mother’s Day dinner
What would be the best way to store leftovers?
In a covered container. It can stay on the counter for 3 days and in the fridge for a week or so.
I made this today…just as the revipe directed. It is good, but super dry. My batter looked lije the video. I am not certain if I did something wrong.
My only guess here is that it got over-baked, if your batter looked like mine. Is your oven running a bit hot? Next time, try taking it out 5 min earlier. In the meantime, turn that focaccia into croutons! 🙂
Just made this! So good.
I haven’t tried the recipe yet; however, I have to let you know that I love your website and printing. I worked most of my career editing Word documents and respect when printing doesn’t waste my paper.
Also, I love the way you explain the process on your videos. Thank you for sharing
Hi
What would happen to the bread if I fo not add the whey protein powder? Is there something else to substitute
Thanks
Dirty
It simply won’t rise as well or hold together as well.
Can you freeze extra bread?
Sure thing!
This recipe is a total winner! I have been a lifelong bread lover so after switching to Keto lifestyle nine months ago I was REALLY missing it. Until I found Carolyn’s bread recipes. Game changers! This one in particular is so wonderful! So close to what I think of for “real” focaccia. Fantastic texture, great flavor, totally dippable! The rosemary takes it to another level. This will become a weekly recipe for me. I followed the steps exactly and it turned out perfect. I watched her video to make sure I had the right consistency.
So delighted you like it!
Made this today. For me the dough was too wet even without the water….and then I made the mistake of adding more coconut flour. (I added another 1/3 cup). What I got in the end was very delicious savory scones (a little dry but tasty). Follow my mistake if you want scones! Maybe I just needed to trust that it would turn out well in the end but I didn’t. Btw I love your bagel recipe. I have made it twice and it always disappears within the next 24 hours.
You need to trust it. Trust me!
I read comments while baking this today. So glad I trusted the recipe. My dough was very wet but baked up perfect. I look forward to using this for sandwich bread. It is very tasty. Thank you!
Thanks so much!
Diabetic. Lol! I should always check my spelling.
I loved bread dipped in olive oil and I am so making this for our next Italian dinner. Looks fantastic! I just made your browned butter chocolate chip Blondie’s for a friend and she loved them. She’s not even low carb and is a dibetic. I’m trying to show her that going low carb is not difficult and is beyond enjoyable. My husband and I love them too. Thank you for your recipes. They are always the ones I turn to.
So glad you liked it!
The focaccia looks incredible!! Is there a substitution for the protein powder? Thank you so much for sharing such an amazing content.
No, no substitutions. Please read the blog post, as I explain exactly why.
I made this yesterday and we loved it! Have you ever made it into a loaf and if so, would there be any changes required to the recipe?
I have not tried that.
I made this and cut the recipe in half because, honestly, who wants 12 servings of anything on keto? It’s a criticism across the board in most keto recipes I see, not just yours. Most households only have one, maybe two people following this lifestyle. Anyway, the foccacia was inedible because of the amount of baking powder. A waste of expensive ingredients and precious eggs under quarantine. Too bad, it sounded delicious.
Sounds to me like you may have mismeasured the baking powder. Or you have a really awful tasting one. As you can see from the mostly stellar reviews, most people do not experience this. I think something went wrong in the fact that you halved the recipe.
Love this bread. It is wonderfully tasty and the texture is perfect. I just made it for the first time. Tonight is mushroom soup and focaccia as a dinner starter from your book!
I am not really a fan of rosemary. Is there a different herb you would recommend
Thyme perhaps… that would give it a different flavor though
I used fresh garlic and sea salt.
Made half the recipe with no yolking protein powder and it was delicious and filling ????????
I plan to do the same. Did you sub it with something else?