Low carb bread – we all crave it and we are all looking for the perfect recipe. This might just be the best low carb bread recipe, and it’s so versatile, you can use it for rolls, sticky buns, pizza and more.
Yesterday afternoon I did something I rarely let myself do: I completely blew off work. It was a glorious day here in the Pacific Northwest, not a cloud in the vibrant blue sky, a perfect 70 degrees Fahrenheit. It was CIT – “Carolyn’s Ideal Temperature”, and I just couldn’t let it go to waste, sitting inside working on blog posts and articles and photos. The glorious spring weather was calling to me and I succumbed. I threw on some flip flops and went for a walk, stopping to get an iced coffee along the way. And then I went to get my toes done, something I desperately needed for an event we are attending tonight. I couldn’t let the world at large see my calloused, banged up runners’ feet and toes as they were!
How to make Low Carb Bread
So this bread recipe is going up a little late today. And it’s not one I can just throw up and leave be. This one needs a little explaining, a little talking through. See, I’ve been working on this for a while now, trying to perfect my own version of the low carb psyllium bread (hats off to those who’ve gone before, most notably Maria of Keto-Adapted). Psyllium is like many other low carb ingredients, something that takes a little getting used to. It has its own quirks and idiosyncrasies and you have to learn to work with them or you won’t get the desired results.
One thing I’ve found is that the brand of psyllium powder definitely makes a difference. I’ve tried two: Now Brand and Yerba Prima. I think I like the Now Brand better, as the Yerba Prima gives my bread more of that slight purply colour. It also seems to give my breads a more gummy texture than the Now psyllium powder.
Because of this difference between brands, it can make it hard to write recipes that work for everyone. I know many people experience frustration with psyllium bread recipes being gummy or deflating after being removed from the oven and I think a lot of that is the brand differences. So I tried to write this particular recipe with those differences in mind. In this case, you only add just enough hot water to expand the bread to about 1.5 to 2 times the original size. With Now Brand psyllium, I find you need more water and with Yerba Prima, I find you need less. It does require using your judgement and deciding when enough is enough. This may take a little practice, but when you get good results, it’s worth it.
I also wanted to develop a bread recipe that could be used in multiple applications and I think I’ve succeeded. I’ve used it for my low carb Pizza rolls, loaf bread, buns and yes, some delicious low carb sticky buns. I think it could be used as pizza crust too, but I haven’t tried it as yet. And I am going to be cruel and tease you with the sticky bun photos today, as the recipe with be forthcoming in a few more days. They were delicious and well worth the effort!
Multi-Purpose Low Carb Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut flour, (I used Bob's Red Mill)
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 5 tbsp psyllium husk powder, (about 1.6 ounces)
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic or onion powder, (optional)
- 1/2 tsp herbs, like rosemary, oregano or basil. Pizza seasoning is great too! (optional)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cup egg whites, (about 8 to 10 large egg whites)
- 3 tbsp oil or melted butter
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 to 3/4 cup hot water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. If you are making a loaf, grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan well. If you are making rolls, line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, almond flour, psyllium husk powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Stir in egg whites, oil and apple cider vinegar. Slowly pour hot water over, stirring until dough expands. Start with the lesser amount and add a bit more until dough seems like it has expanded about 1.5 to 2 times. Do not add too much water or it can become a gloppy mess.
Loaf:
- For a loaf of bread, shape into a rough rectangle and place in prepared baking pan. Bake 60 to 75 minutes, until browned and crust feels hard to the touch (it will look done long before it really is. Don't take it out early or it will deflate). Remove and let cool in pan.
Rolls:
- Divide dough into 10 to 12 equal pieces and roll between palms into a rough ball. If dough is sticky, oil your palms with olive or avocado oil. Place on prepared cookie sheet. If you want flatter rolls for burgers or sandwich rolls, press down to 1 inch thickness with your palm.
- Bake 45 to 60 minutes, depending on size and shape of rolls. Rolls should be well browned and quite firm to the touch. Remove and let cool on pan.
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, is this recipe gluten free? Thanks.
Yes.
This is the second time of making this bread and I made it with 4 tblsp physalis, 1/4 cup coconut flour, 1/4 cup ground almonds, 1/4 cup flaxseed & 1/4 cup of protein powder and it came out even better and, I think I’m right in saying that the ground flax and protein powder will also make it slightly lower carb.
Great recipe, thank you for posting it.
Just tried this recipe for the second time (using NOW brand psyllium husk powder) and it was really yummy both times, but I can see I need a little more practice on the mixing method as my first effort was pretty flat and dense (I used egg whites from a carton, and won’t do that again), and the second effort deflated (I am positive that I simply took it out too early). I wonder if the NOW brand has changed a bit, though, as it’s really quite purple? Just thought I’d mention that. Looking forward to the next practice loaf! (Oh- and will try to store this loaf in the fridge, as the last loaf molded after a couple of days on the counter.)
Hi Carolyn, can I substitute baking soda for the baking powder?
I’ve tried your recipe this morning and it tasted sooooooo good!!! It turned out wonderful!! I added Oregano and Garlic Powder they smell so fragrant!
Here’s a shot of my bread – http://imgur.com/a/Nz6wb
I used a square cake pan (I did not have a loaf tin) and it turns out nice too, like bread sticks if I sliced it.
Thanks for a great recipe!
It looks fab, Cindy!
I’ve made this recipe 3 times now and I enjoy the taste and texture very much. However the last twice the loaf rose nicely, did not fall on cooling but when I cut into it it has a HUGE air pocket. So the top of all my slices is missing. The outside crust is there. Just no filling. I’m using a loaf pan. Do you have any suggestions to eliminate the big air pocket?
Hmm. I am thinking that perhaps you need to tap your loaf pan pretty firmly on the counter a few times before baking. Maybe even punch it down a little in the pan to help release those big air bubbles.
Thanks I’ll give that a try . I have been trying to be gentle with it when I put it in the pan. Next time I’ll give it a good whack nstead. ?
I don’t think you need to be too gentle with it. It’s not a yeast dough and I don’t think it’s as susceptible to over-handling.
Gosh I struggle with these egg white breads 🙁
Because I am in Aus. I cant use exactly the same brand ingredients – so … purple.
Anyways – can you please tell me whether the bread should EXPAND more in the oven – OR – is the squidgy dough mix that we plop into the pan equivalent to the volume of the final loaf?
It should definitely expand!
Hi Carolyn,
Made the buns this morning amd they turned of wonderful. Best low carb bread so far. I was wondering how you would make pizza dough with this recipe. Thank you so much for all hour wonderful recipe. You are by far my favorite blogger.
Thanks, Sylvie. Roll it out and shape it for pizza but definitely make sure to bake it without toppings first. Maybe 20 minutes? Until it starts to feel firm. Then add the toppings and bake another 10 to 12 minutes.
Would this work in a bread maker??
Doubtful.
Thank you so much
Sorry, wish I had a better answer but bread machines really require yeast and gluten and such.
Carolyn,
I found your blog as I searched for a multi purpose brad recipe. Meaning wheat bread. I have an interesting story about bread baking.
When I was about ten years old, in WW2, my mother shopped at Safeway. They gave away a little magazine called “The Family Circle”. In the back there was a feature for kids called “Little brown Coco, about a little black boy who helped his mother in the kitchen. Every issue told a little story and included the recipe for simple things that kids could make. My favorite was “Little brown Coco’s water bread” My mother let me make it several times, and it always turned out very good.
Years later, when I was raising my four sons alone, I wanted to give them that memory, so I baked the only recipe I knew. Water bread.
It was simple. 4 cups very hot water, add 1/2 cup shortening, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 Tbsp salt. Cut up the shortening so it would melt fast. Put two packets of dry yeast in 1/4 cup warm water, let it set for a couple minutes, then add it in. Mix in flour until it makes a thin dough. Cover and let it raise double. Punch down and knead, then form loaves and let them raise. When doubled, bake at 350 f for 25 min. or so. I learned that I could add nuts and raisins, or I could add a 1/2 cup of vinegar to make a mock French bread, and I could form it into long French bread loaves and bake it on a cookie sheet. I also did a heaver version with a little corn meal and/or oat meal in it.
Thank you
I want to try this recipe and would like know if the flavor of eggs is over powering, thanks.
Not in this recipe, no.
Do you think if you added the least amount of water and rolled them a bit flat, they would act a a naan type flat bread?
It’s worth a try!
Made this recipe today (first of all thanks, tastes great!), but it didn’t rise at all. It tastes fantastic, but it is more moist than I would have expected, and it didn’t expand or rise. When I added the water, it didn’t seem to do anything. I ended up doing the full 3/4 of a cup. It’s not purple or anything though, so I don’t think I’m having the same issues as others in that regard, but it was just psyllium husk from the bulk store, so maybe it’s not very good. Is there something I might be doing wrong or something else I should try? (I also used a carton of egg whites for this. I’d never used them before and they seemed thinner than I would have thought, so maybe that had something to do with it.)
Thanks!
Could be the psyllium. Was it powdered? I usually end up using a mix of fresh egg whites and the carton kind. It usually turns out better the more fresh egg whites I use.
I have had success with this bread, but my most recent batch was made with a new bag of Now brand psyllium and the rolls are purple. Formerly the rolls made with Now psyllium were beige and I am really disappointed, not in the flavour but in the appearance. I wonder if they changed their supplier?
I had a similar experience. I tried using a new jar of NOW psyllium husk three or four times with a couple recipes and got purple results each time. I think I will toss the remaining NOW product. My original jar performed perfectly! I did not toss the purple bread. I cut it into cubes and added it to French Onion Soup. The color did not show up in the broth and nothing was wasted.
I wonder if they did. That’s frustrating!
I don’t have any psyllium husk powder. Can I substitute xantham gum?
NO, that won’t work in this recipe. You need psyllium husk.
I bought the psyllium husk powder and made the bread. The bread puffed up nice and big, but unfortunately when I cut into it I found that there was a giant hole in the middle. It tasted delicious though =). Any thoughts as to what may have caused the hole? I’m not sure if it matters but I used 1/2 cup of water. Could I have added too much water?