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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Hi Carolyn,
I have made many of your recipes and I have found them delish. I’m wondering if this bread could be made with a fraction of the baking powder. Maybe just a teaspoon. I don’t like tasting the rising agent.
It won’t rise enough with just a teaspoon – I wouldn’t do less than 2 teaspoons. What brand of baking powder are you using? It could be that…
Is there anything I could use to replace the coconut flour? I find the flavor to be so overpowering.
Not if you want the right texture. I recommend Bob’s Red Mill coconut… I think you probably won’t taste it in this recipe.
I recently got ahold of Lupini flour. It has a bit of a bitter undertone, but perhaps it can work as well in place of the coconut flour? I believe it’s even lower carb than coconut, and higher in protein & fat. I’m not 100% on the later, just 90%. I’m a wee bit too tired from a rough night with a bad shoulder to swap windows and check… Anyway, it works great in mug/square baking dish microwave breads in place of the standard almond flour, but is more finely ground, like the coconut. Just add a bit of sweetener if you find it too bitter. It hasn’t bothered me at all.
I would like to ask about the purpose for adding protein powder – is it necessary? Can it be omitted?
Please watch this to understand how protein powder helps keto baked goods! https://youtu.be/8SA_iBl0pUU
I am planning on adding some kalamata olives to this. Hadn’t decided whether to incorporate them into the dough or just press the slices into the surface. We’ll see. Bet it will be fantastic, though!
Carolyn, this is the best! I am going to try making it without the rosemary and add some keto cornbread flavor. You have outdone yourself on this one.
Someone on your Facebook group just said that she used this recipe for a LC pizza, so this morning, that’s what I did. I partially cooked the batter, and then added the cheese and pepperoni, and went on cooking until it was all browning, and my whole family calls it a big success. I’m thinking that next time, I’ll chop up the pepperoni and mix it into the batter, and then I’ll spread just the cheese later on. I had to leave one end of the bread without cheese, because of my milk allergy, and the pepperoni was just falling off. Yummy! Thanks for this recipe!
Thank you for creating this recipe Carolyne, love it ! Easy, tasty and great consistency..
This recipe is so good! I used Maldon salt flakes on top, and drizzled it with olive after I took it out of the oven. I served it with a parmesan rosemary olive oil mixture. I could see adding sun-dried tomatoes and olives to the bread in the future.
I have thought of adding olives too! Too bad my husband doesn’t like them. Although maybe I should because then it would be mine… all mine! 😉
Made the bread tonight. Spot on!!! Ill make it a little thicker next time but wow. On target. Thank you!!!!
OMG! So easy so good. Thanks!
Unfortunately mine came out very grainy and more like a biscuit or keto cookie. Used ultra fine almond flour too! ????
Then something went wrong (can’t say what without being in your kitchen) but you can see from my photos and from the overwhelmingly rave reviews, that it should have the texture of real focaccia.
Hi,mine didn’t worked out good at all.It didn’t rise and the texture was coarsly.Like you eat almond fluor raw.
I used american measure tools and
I did exactly how you do it.
What went wrong?
Im from the Netherlands maybe thats the problem 😉
If the texture was coarse, then your almond flour was probably very coarse. That’s not something I can really help you with, given what’s available in the Netherlands.
Game changer for my keto charcuterie boards!
Oh WOW. So delicious ????. My hubby and I are loving it dipped in truffle oil. Thanks for another great recipe. Can I ask what brand of coconut ???? flour you use?
Usually Bob’s Red Mill.
Can this be frozen? If so how long.
It should freeze well, for up to 2 months tightly wrapped.
Made this focaccia tonight for dinner and we loved it!
The texture is AMAZING and I just discovered a new pizza crust, THANK YOU!
I wish there was an unflavored coconut flour, because that’s the only flavour I don’t like much, but I’ll take it anyway.