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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Can I use whey protein ?
Sorry see by this recipe I can use whey
Would Pea Protein Powder work just as well?
It should… but some of it has a greenish tinge so be aware of that.
Hi Carolyn,
I’ve been low carb for three years now, and your receipes are the only ones I trust! Thanks for sharing them all!
I’ve made this before and it’s gorgeous, but I just wondered – if I make the batter ahead of time, will it be ok in the fridge for a few hours before baking, or would it be better to bake it early and warm it up for a few mins in the microwave when dinner is ready?
Good question, I am not really positive but I think it’s worth a shot. I would form it completely on the pan, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
Thank you so much for all the recipes you provide. I feel like “all day I search your site” finding new foods I can eat on my Keto diet. My son made me this Focaccia today and it is delicious. Thanks again!
Wonderful to hear!
Made this bread today and it is delicious. I always make a full batch of anything because it can always be frozen.
Hi Carolyn, I tried this and it taste delish! Just that it was crumbly and didn’t hold well like a bread. Any idea what went wrong? Thanks!
Hard to say but sounds like maybe too much coconut flour.
so happy this is keto friendly! So delicious and really easy to throw together.
This bread turned out excellent! Thanks for the great recipe!
Thanks for the encouragement about not craving bread. We are just now getting into a keto diet and bread used to be life for me so this recipe couldn’t have come at a better time. Thank you!
Crazy idea but could I add in a been of leavened yeast instead of the protein powder/extra egg white?
missing the extra fluffy bubbles you get from regular focaccia bread
You can certainly try.
Carolyn – Is Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides a protein powder that can be used in this recipe?
No, collagen won’t work.
I have been keto for over a year now and thanks to you no desire to change back. As long as I can have dessert every day, I’m fine. I don’t miss bread. I do miss the olive oil dipping sauce. I would eat an entire loaf if I had seasoned olive oil for it. This focaccia is fantastic! It is exactly what I needed and perfect for dipping. It is the best tasting keto bread I’ve tried. I have your everyday cookbook and your baking cookbook. Those, along with your website, have been helping me make a different dessert every few days since this pandemic started.
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!
Made this to accompany Mother’s Day dinner. Very easy, super flavor—best keto bread ever and I have tried a few. Great for serving with soups, dinner, or on its own. Thank you!
Mine ended up really dry too. Nothing olive oil and fresh cracked pepper can’t handle but once wet it fell apart. Maybe I need to make it thicker? Has anyone made this a loaf?
Tell me what brands of almond flour and coconut flour you used? I suspect those might be the culprits. Oh and what brand of protein powder.
Bobs red mill for the coconut and almond flour and great value/walmart for the baking powder. They literally only had 3 cans left when I bought it.
I always use Bob’s so it’s not that. But I asked about protein powder, not baking powder… do you know what brand you used?
Oops! Sorry…. I used isopure low carb.
I believe Carolyn once said she uses whey protein concentrate, not whey protein isolate.
I appreciate your recipes more than I can say. I am anxious t try the Focaccia bread recipe. Happy Mother’s Day Carolyn!
Can you substitute anything for the almond flour? Hubby’s allergic!
Well you could try sunflower seed flour but the issue there is that it will have a greyish tinge to begin with. And it could turn green from the reaction to the baking powder so you would need to add a tbsp of lemon juice to offset that.