What’s the first major upset when you make a low-carb commitment? For many people, it’s giving up bread. But now you don’t have to! This recipe from Registered Dietitian Kelsey Bird brings nutrient-packed bread back into the ketogenic lifestyle, and it’s so easy to whip up and store.
What’s inside this low carb bread loaf?
Substituting enriched flour in this recipe is a healthier alternative that most ketogenic dieters are familiar with: almond flour. We’re using a combination of blanched almond flour and coconut flour to get the perfect consistency. A couple other substitutions that will mimic the density and rising factor of the bread is our addition of xanthan gum and beaten egg whites.
Why not whole eggs? Whole egg may also be used in this recipe, but the yolk is what causes the “eggy” taste that some people detect in keto baking. By swapping out whole egg for egg whites, we’re able to keep the flavor pretty neutral while achieving the beautiful fluffiness that egg whites create when they’re whipped up with a hand mixer.
Ways to Eat Herbed Bread
This low carb bread recipe packs a little something extra: a savory herb mixture that’s reminiscent of a focaccia loaf.
A healthy spread of butter or garlic butter makes this the perfect mid-day snack. It also plays well as a sandwich base with some salami, turkey, mustard and mayo. One last idea: You can dip toasted bread into a shallow dish of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar as an appetizer or alongside an Italian meal. Any way to slice it, it’s heavenly!
Storage and Freezing Low Carb Bread
Unlike enriched white bread that can live on your counter for a week or more, this low carb bread loaf needs a little more TLC due to the abundance of fresh ingredients like eggs and butter. If you plan to store this bread, a good strategy is to keep half in the fridge and half in the freezer.
If storing in the fridge, make sure to keep your low carb bread wrapped tightly in parchment paper and only keep it in the fridge for five days or less. If freezing, pre-slice the bread into 12-16 slices and freeze it inside an airtight container or a freezer-safe sealed bag. This way, you can grab what you need out of the freezer and pop it in the toaster. Boom—warm, toasty bread anytime you want it!
Low Carb Herbed Bread Loaf
Ingredients
1 cup blanched almond flour
¼ cup coconut flour
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp sea salt
1/3 cup butter, melted
12 large egg whites, room temperature
1 ½ tbsp Swerve sweetener or erthritol
¼ tsp xanthan gum
¼ tsp cream of tarter
Herb mixture: 1 tsp of each: Garlic powder, onion powder, dried rosemary, dried sage
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a bread loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving some hanging on the sides for easy removal. Spray parchment paper with cooking spray.
In a food processor, add almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, salt, sweetener, xanthan gum, and herbs. On the lowest setting, run the food processor to combine ingredients, then drizzle in melted butter until distributed.
In a large bowl, add egg whites and cream of tartar. Use a hand mixer to beat eggs until stiff peaks form (the egg mixture will expand quite a bit).
Once the consistency is fluffy, begin adding the dry ingredients into the egg mixture and gently folding them in. Keep the mixture fluffy by only combining until no streaks remain.
Transfer batter into the bread loaf pan and smooth the top.
Bake for 40 minutes until the top becomes golden brown. Tent the top with foil and back another 20-30 minutes until the top is firm and the internal temperature is 200 degrees.
Slicing: Cool bread loaf completely before slicing.
Storage: Store bread loaf tightly wrapped in parchment paper inside your fridge for up to 5 days. You can also pre-slice bread and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready for a slice, just toast the bread from frozen in your toaster.
PRODUCTS USED
