This is the best low carb keto psyllium-flax bread I have had. Amazing! A low carb bread that looks like the real thing and tastes like homemade sourdough bread.
Bread is one of those things many low carbers miss once choosing a low carb lifestyle, especially when just beginning. Luckily, there are many recipes for low carb bread available nowadays – many more than when I started out 8 years ago. We can thank the ingenuity of low carb bakers and low bloggers for the great recipes we have today.
I like this low carb bread a lot! It's the proper loaf size, not overly dense, cuts well, freezes well, doesn't crumble, and above all tastes pretty darn good – like a homemade sourdough bread. I love it pan fried and topped with low carb raspberry jelly or blueberry-lime chia seed jam!
The miracle in this low carb bread recipe lies in the use of psyllium powder, and I can't take any intellectual credit for it! I found the first recipe for psyllium bread on Maria Emmerich's site mariamindbodyhealth.com.
I used Maria's amazing bread recipe for a long time. It took me several tries to get it right. The loaves had a great rise while baking then totally collapsed upon cooling. With practice, the loaves improved.
This low carb bread recipe combines golden flax meal with psyllium powder to achieve a look similar to that of whole wheat bread. I have added some tips to help ensure the recipe is a success. It is a recipe that must be followed exactly and it does take some practice to get it right.
Tips for making The Best Low Carb Keto Psyllium-Flax Bread
- Only use an 8×4 inch metal pan. (about $5 from the grocery store)
- Regrind the NOW brand psyllium powder (NOT HUSKS) in a coffee grinder for at least 10 seconds each batch, then put it in an air tight container for future use.
- I only recommend NOW brand psyllium husk powder or Jay Robb.
- Grind the golden flax meal until very fine before using.
- Weigh ingredients for best results. I'm not even going to mention measuring cups.
- I did not test the recipe with coconut flour, just the almond flour. This is not a nut-free recipe.
- Do not over mix the ingredients or the dough will become gummy or collapse upon cooling.
- Whole eggs cause the psyllium-flax bread to smell like ammonia – yuck!
- I use pasteurized liquid egg whites from the grocery store, but separating whole eggs and using the whites, works.
- Bake the bread until it reaches an internal temperature of about 210 degrees.
***** IMPORTANT NOTE *****
This recipe contains about 12 tablespoons of psyllium powder. Psyllium is an absorbent fiber. If one doesn't drink enough water while taking psyllium, it will absorb water from the body. No one wants to get a bowl obstruction, but everyone likes to be regular, right? Drink a glass of water with the serving of bread and be a happy camper!
This Low Carb Keto Psyllium-Flax Bread has 3 net carbs per 1/2 inch thick slice
[Disclosure: This recipe and post contain affiliate links.]
This is the best low carb keto psyllium-flax bread I have had. At 3 net carbs per slice, enjoy that sandwich!
- 10 ounces blanched almond flour
- 3 ounces Bob's Red Mill Golden Flax Meal
- 100 grams NOW Psyllium Husk Powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces egg whites (226.80 g)
- 3 ounces vinegar (85 g)
- 14 ounces boiling water (396.89 g)
If you have't read the post, go back and read it. I include some important tips on how to make the bread as well as a caution.
- Preparation: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 8x4 inch metal loaf pan with baking spray. Heat a kettle of water to a boil. Grind the golden flax meal in a coffee grinder to make sure it is very fine.
- Place a large bowl on a scale, turn it on, zero it out, and measure 10 ounces of almond flour into the bowl. Zero the scale and measure 3 ounces of golden flax meal into the bowl. Zero the scale and change it to grams. Measure 100 grams of psyllium powder into the bowl, then add the salt and baking powder. Remove the bowl from the scale and mix the ingredients with a hand mixer to ensure that they are evenly distributed.
- Put a smaller bowl in the scale, turn it on, zero it out and measure 8 ounces of egg whites into the bowl. Zero out the scale and add 3 ounces of vinegar.
- Get ready. It's time to pay attention: Pour the egg white mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix at a high speed until just combined. (The mixture will begin to expand a bit.) It should only take 10 seconds. DO NOT OVER MIX.
Quickly rinse out the small bowl and return it to the scale. Zero the scale and add the 14 ounces of hot water. Pour the hot water onto the ingredients previously mixed with the egg whites (don't just dump it into the middle) and again, mix quickly at high speed, just until incorporated 10-15 seconds. If there is a little dry bread mix in the bottom of the bowl, it's okay.
- Gently remove the dough with your hands, (it will be cool) and ever-so-slightly and gently, shape it into a loaf shape while bringing it to the bread pan. Put the Psyllium-flax bread dough into the pan, it will not be perfect and there may be gaps in the corners or one side may be a little higher than the other - it's okay, put it into the oven.
Bake for 80-90 minutes, depending on your oven. Depending on your oven, it may need a little more time. It is done when the internal temperature is 208-210 degrees F.
- Let the loaf cool in the pan for only 5 minutes and then remove and place on a cooling rack to cool completely. If left in the pan to cool, the steam from the bread may make the loaf soggy. I place it on its side for 5 minutes, then set it right side up to finish cooling. Don't cut the bread until it is almost completely cool.
People at high altitudes have had success cooking this bread in a toaster oven.
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Can this recipe be used in a bread machine?
No, Steve, it can’t. -Kim
Coconut flour worked for that recipe 😉
Awesome, Aleksandra. Thanks for letting me know. How much did you use? Did you use a straight substitution? -Kim
Hi Kim! When I bake or cook with psyllum husk powder, sometimes a bite will have a somewhat grainy texture, like sand got into it. I’m sure it’s the psyllium powder, and I haven’t tried the NOW brand yet, but I’m wondering if you ever come across that? Is that why you regrind yours in a coffee grinder? The taste of everything I’ve made has been good, but when my husband hits one of those grainy spots, it kind of grosses him out and he can’t eat whatever it was anymore. I might try regrining the remaining powder I have and then switch to NOW when this stuff is out. As you and a few readers pointed out, these ingredients can be expensive 🙂
Hi Kelsey. What you are describing is a bit inherent to the ingredient, but regrinding does make the particles smaller. Try letting the dough sit in the pan for 5-10 minutes before putting into the oven to see if all of the particles absorb moisture. If your psyllium works, aside from the grit, and the price is right I wouldn’t change. I think it’s the nature of the beast. Let me know if you have any more questions. -Kim
I have made this recipe several times. It is so easy to follow and has always made a great loaf of bread. Because of the slight sourdough flavor I have always added caraway seeds (2 tsp), which I grind in my coffee mill (since I have it out already). Makes an outstanding ham & Swiss on “rye”. 🙂
Oh! And I’ve found this is even easier to make in my KitchenAid STAND mixer.
What a great idea, TheaMaria. I bet it’s wonderful with the caraway seed. Thanks for sharing. -Kim
Hi there… please can you tell me what vinegar you used? Eg …. white….malt…. balsamic…..apple cider
Im super excited and want to make this recipe 2nite for this weekend edition of family workshop breakfast prep
Many thanks in kind advance
Hi Nics. Yes, I use red wine vinegar or white. I’ll mention it in the recipe. I hope you enjoy the recipe. Make sure not to over-mix and cook it for a long time. -Kim
What am I doing wrong? As with most bread recipes I try it looks so nice and risen in the oven but then it’s all hollow inside…although it still tastes good..any pointers? Thanks
Hi Sue. This is called “tunneling” and it happens with regular bread recipes, too. In this recipe it can be caused by having a large air bubble trapped in the dough. This recipe will rise nicely and then collapse to a mess if it is over mixed. I literally meant count to 10 when mixing. I have a lot of pointers in the post and there are many, many comments that you can skim through, too. I am sorry that happened and you aren’t the only one. I have never had this bread recipe “tunnel” before, but I have been making it for a long time, too. Good luck with your next loaf. I am glad you liked the flavor. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. -Kim
Did you throw in the cost of a coffee grinder? Unless I can grind it in a food processor, I will have to buy yet another appliance 🙁
I don’t know how to respond to this, Shawn. I’m sorry you are unhappy. You can use your food processor. I just know that the coffee grinder does a better job of pulverizing some ingredients and making things into powders. I use my 20 year old coffee grinder for grinding spices, low carb sweeteners, small amounts of nuts or seeds, freeze dried fruit. If you have a mini food processor, that would work, too. I hope I have answered your question. Have a nice day. -Kim
Kim, I and my husband wish to thank you for all your hard work. You’re detailed instructions are amazing. My loaf tastes GREAT! Its so nice to have something to spread SF blackberry jam on. I had cheese toast this afternoon. (with lots of water of course.) My husband can’t say enough how he loves your bread. It’s the first low carb item he can’t get enough of and I’ve been low carbing for 10+ years.
Fantastic, Dee! I’m so happy you and your husband both like the bread and that you found the instructions helpful. Your blackberry jam sounds wonderful. Yum! Thanks for taking the time to comment. Have a great week. -Kim
The bread is in my oven but as the vinegar in the ingredients list was not mentioned in the directions. I missed it. What will happen?
Hi Susan. The vinegar is mentioned after the egg whites in step 4, for future reference. They both get added and mixed in before adding the water. If you didn’t add the vinegar, then the bread will probably be very dense and it may not rise. So sorry! -Kim
I was stuck with a lot of leftover egg whites after smoothies and making custards, so this recipe helped me use them up. And of course, a successful low carb bread would be delightful! Unfortunately though, something went wrong, but probably out of my own wrong doing. It was cooked, but gummy inside and hollow at the top – any ideas what went wrong? I read through all the instructions and the only difference was that I didn’t use a thermometer as I don’t own one (cooked for 100 mins for safe measure). I used brown flaxseed as it’s what I had on hand (not fussed with the colour, all that matters is taste) and the psyllium husk was a different brand, as I’m in Australia (but I see someone from Oz has had success). I was careful not to over mix, but may have been too heavy-handed getting it in the pan. I’d like to try it again in the future, so any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
Hi Rebecca. I’m sorry the first loaf didn’t turn out well, there is definitely a learning curve with the bread. The hollow top under the crust is called tunneling and happens with regular loaves of bread, too. It occurs when air gets trapped and expands during cooking. The bottom of the loaf will be more dense, but it shouldn’t be too gummy. I suspect over-mixing although you said you were careful about it. As I mentioned in the post, there is a bit of a learning curve in this recipe as it is completely different than any traditional recipe. You may still be able to enjoy this loaf by slicing and toasting in a frying pan. I did that with Maria’s recipe the first few times until I got the technique right – I threw the first loaf out because it collapsed to nothing after baking! Lol. Let me just say to be careful to not dump the liquid into the middle of the ingredients before mixing. You could even let the bread dough sit in the pan for a few minutes before going into the oven to allow the psyllium to absorb the water a bit more. Let me know how the next loaf turns out. -Kim
One tip I can give to those who complain about gummy spots and a wet bottom of the bread is this. After the bread has baked fully and is up to temp, tip it out of the pan onto the oven rack and bake it for 10 more minutes. Works wonderfully in fixing that problem.
What a great idea, Sitara. Thank you! -Kim
Wow! So easy to make and crazy delicious. Its bread!! I cannot wait to try this as sandwich bread and french toast. Just amazing. Thank you!!
You’re so welcome, Mary. -Kim
I made 3 exact attempts at Maria’s Amazing Bread recipe and one pass at Elana’s keto bread. Maria’s bread was a failure – I would get an edible half inch of bread and the rest was gummy. Elana’s was too eggy and nutty/dusty.
Your bread turned out PERFECTLY.
For those worried about cost, Costco sells almond flour very cheap. I got my last 3lb bag for $11.49 – that’s enough for 5 loaves. I got my psyllium husk from the bulk bins at our natural grocer for super cheap and keep a 1lb $2.99 bag of Bob’s flaxseed meal in the freezer, which is enough for 5 loaves as well. Buying eggs by the dozen and separating them is cheaper than buying the egg whites – especially now around Easter.
I found my 8×4 metal loaf pan at Walmart this week for $.88!!! And a $10 kitchen scale will last you forever.
If you use a Kitchen-Aid stand mixer, my tip is to use the whisk attachment and not the paddle.
Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Oh, I’m so glad the bread turned out so well. Thank you for taking the time to leave such a detailed and helpful comment. I wish you a wonderful week. -Kim
Just made my second loaf. This time I used Jay Robb psyllium husks and ground them with the flaxseed meal in my Vitamix blender once I weighed them out. The loaf came out even higher and more gorgeous than the first time! It really is so easy once you assemble all the ingredients together. I had avocado toast, a ham and cheese sandwich, grilled cheese, and just toast with sugar free jam with my last loaf. Its made my life so much easier!!
Great, Da Yiz! Yes, grinding it finer makes it rise even nicer as you found out. I love the Jay Robb psyllium powder. Thanks for leaving such a helpful comment and have a great day. -Kim
Definitely stock up while the eggs are cheap – Safeway/Carr’s had them 99 cents with a coupon!
Egg whites can be frozen, or if using the whole eggs, lightly scramble in a bowl (or right in the bag)
and freeze. HTH
I buy golden flax seed in bulk bins (dirt cheap), and grind it as needed. I can get it finer grind with coffee grinder than Bob’s Red Mill does, and it can be kept a room temp forever . . .
I also add about 1/2 tsp of bread yeast to gluten free breads, as it can make it taste more like yummy, poisonous, gluten-y bread. (Sorry, my gluten intolerance is showing.)
I should have said that whole seed can be kept at room temp forever, NOT ground.
Thanks for the clarification! -Kim
Thanks for sharing your tip with the flax. I have tried the trick with the yeast in some recipes but not this one. I bet it’s good. Thanks so much for sharing! -Kim
Tried this recipe today and while the taste and texture are good (no eggy taste), it did not rise at all and the color is much darker. As NOW psyllium is not available in Canada, I used another brand, otherwise followed the directions closely. Not sure why it didn’t rise. I like the taste, but I would like to figure out why it ddn’t rise before I try again. I live at sea level, so it is not a high altitude problem.
Hi Yvonne. Hi Paleo Granny – I follow you on Instagram. I’m sorry your loaf did not rise. The only thing I can think is that the baking powder was inadvertently left out or was old. The reaction between the baking powder and the vinegar helps the bread rise, so I’m really stumped. You can see all of the little air holes in my bread – that shows that it rose. If the bread is mixed too much, it may collapse or be too dense. Does it still taste good fried in a pan with butter? Let me know. -Kim
I never thought to check the expiry date on my baking powder – but I should have as I don’t use it very often – and it is about a year old. I’ll buy new baking powder and try again. The bread tastes great toasted in the frying pan, so I want to get it right. Thanks!
You’re welcome, Yvonne. Let me know if you still have problems next time. -Kim
Wow! It looks perfect, no wonder so many people shared it and commented hier. One question about the NOW Physillium Husk Powder, is that Now something special or can I use the regular p.h. powder I can buy hier?
Thanks Adina. You can use any psyllium powder brand, but the bread may turn purple. It still tastes great if this happens. You can even buy whole psyllium husks, but will have to grind them into a very fine powder before using. -Kim
Hi there!
This recipe is ingenious. Thank you for making it and sharing it with all of us! The taste is great!
Just made it last night and had a question. There are some parts that are still wet and seem raw (?) despite my baking it for 90 minutes. So I just wanted to ask how to salvage the rest of the loaf. I tried toasting 2 slices but the edges were already burnt and the insides were still wet even when toasted. Should I bake it in the oven again for a few more minutes? Will that help?
Thanks so much!
Hi Ann. There will be some areas that are more dense than other areas especially towards the bottom, although I wouldn’t call them “wet”. I only toast my bread in a frying pan, I think it toasts up better. I don’t think that baking the bread again will help. You’ll just have to enjoy it pan-fried and try again. Things to think about for next time are making sure to use a metal pan and not over-mixing or over handling the dough. It is not regular bread, so it will be different. There are a number of recipes for rolls and even bagels that use the psyllium powder. I think it’s a great ingredient. Let me know if you have any more questions. Enjoy your weekend. -Kim
Thanks so much for the swift response, Kim! Will definitely try making these again with your tips in mind once I’ve finished this loaf. It’s such a great tasting recipe – I particularly loved the toasted edges and the dough near it! Here’s hoping I can make it better next time around. Thanks again!
You are so welcome.
I made this yesterday! It smelled so good as it baked! I cut it this morning, and it was a little wet with some separation beneath the top crust. I had decided to bake it an extra 10 minutes (110 minutes total) because the thermometer came out the first time with some wet batter on it.
I used a meat thermometer, so I’m not sure the reading was right. But, it only reached 100 degrees celcius when I pulled the bread out.
It toasted up nice! But, I’m wondering if I should have baked it longer or on a higher temp? Thanks so much for your help!
Kristine
Hi Kristine. I love the smell of the bread as it bakes and as you say, it is great toasted. What you describe is called “tunneling” in yeast breads. That is then the top separates from the rest of the loaf. Sometimes that happens when there is an unfortunate air bubble right under the surface. A few things come to mind… Make sure not to over mix the dough at any stage. If there is just a little dry ingredients that haven’t been fully incorporated, that’s okay. I sprinkle it on top of the loaf.
Second, make sure to handle the loaf carefully when putting it in the pan. After it’s in the pan, I lift the pan up a few inches and let it fall back onto the counter in hopes that some of the big air bubbles will be knocked out. Third, because the loaf is pretty heavy, it will be more dense at the bottom of the loaf but I have never had it be wet. If you have an instant-read meat thermometer, that is fine. Don’t use a regular meat thermometer or you will sit there all day getting a reading and the bread will collapse. You can try baking at a higher temperature – I don’t think it would hurt the bread at all. If the top becomes too brown, you can always tent it with foil.
Keep trying. It took me several times to get Maria’s original recipe right. Let me know how it goes next time. Thanks so much for commenting. Enjoy the rest of your week. -Kim
Thank you for the tips! I will definitely keep trying! 😀
Hi Kim,
I made your recipe today. It tastes much better than the gluten free breads I’ve been buying. Like other comments mine was purple inside and outside. I didn’t have the NOW brand of psyllium powder. When I took the dough out of the mixer it looked just like yours but got decidedly purple as it baked. I will purchase pasteurized egg whites for my next loaf…what do you do with the leftover egg yolks?
I was a bit doubtful with the amount of vinegar in the recipe but it didn’t change the flavor at all. The loaf did rise nicely and it didn’t fall after taking it out of the oven. Your suggestion to lay the loaf on it’s side worked perfect. I have two questions for you. Do you think it would be OK to cut slits in the top before baking to give the finished loaf an old world look? Also do you think cinnamon, nuts and raisins can be added to make a raisin bread?
Thank you, I will be trying more of your recipes soon.
Oh, no, a purple loaf. They are kind of pretty though. Great questions, Kriss. I like to make lemon curd or creme brulee with the egg yolks. You can also make French Vanilla ice cream. It is easier to use the store bought egg whites. I think that if you slit the top, the slits would fill in while the bread rose, but you can try it. I think that you could add cinnamon, nuts and raisins. A reader successfully turned this recipe into cinnamon rolls, but I haven’t played with it yet. I’m glad you like the recipe. Have a wonderful weekend. -Kim
Hi! It’s in the oven right now. I used the same quantities, although I used egg white powder and different brands. But I get 1.4g net carbs for one slice, that’s half yours.
I have, for the whole bread :
– almonds : 16.98g
– flaxseed : 0.85g
– psyllium : 8.6g
– egg whites : 1.4g
– vinegar : 1.1g
Do you have any idea where the difference comes from?
Anyway, thanks for the recipe 😀
Hi Meli. The difference probably comes from different nutritional calculators. I use the MasterCook cookbook program and I am sure that my counts are higher on this program than other calculators, but I would rather have my counts be a little high and not have my recipes affect people’s blood sugar than be lower than they actually are. All nutritional calculators employ different algorithms to calculate the numbers. When I re-do this post, I will run it through Fatsecret and see how the numbers compare. Thanks so much for the question. I hope you enjoy the recipe. -Kim
Thank you Kim for this wonderful recipe! I read through all the comments to read the results of others and made it yesterday afternoon. Living in Sydney Australia I went to Coles for the ingredients and then followed all your instructions to the letter. As I’m originally from Holland, I converted all the weights to grams first, which made it easy to work with my scales. It took no time at all to make it! Popped it in the oven for 90 minutes, trusting your instructions without even opening the oven door once!
The loaf felt just a little damp when I took it out, so I let it cool completely overnight, brought the oven up to temperature this morning and popped it in (without the tin) for 10 minutes. My husband agrees: it tastes & looks fantastic. After 3 years searching for a Paleo loaf, you have answered my prayers! Thank you!
I have been buying a New Zealand made Paleo loaf weekly as that has been the only option until now, and pay AUS$15. This works out much more economical as well.
Karin, I’m thrilled that you were able to find the ingredients in Sydney and found the bread easy to make. Paleo and low carb breads can be so pricey and I am glad this is a less expensive option for you. Thanks for letting me know how this went for you and sharing your experience with making it. Have a very nice Sunday. Take care! -Kim
I am currently making this bread, however I whipped the egg whites until soft peek before mixing and I also used just phsyllium husks and I’ll let you know how it turns out but is rising great so far. Also used apple cider vinegar. At Walmart you can buy cheaper versions or the bulk barn of everything, it only cost me $2 for bag of flax seeds same as the $10 ones, just gatta look.
I can’t wait to hear how your experiment goes, Vanessa. Thanks for the tips about saving money at Walmart. Have a great weekend. -Kim
I don’t see anything on high altitude cooking in the notes section. Can you please fill me in on this? Also, vinegar…regular white vinegar or does Bragg apple cider vinegar suffice? Thank you! The bread looks wonderful. Can’t wait to try it.
Hi John. I went through all of the comments and found where someone mentions that for psyllium breads, she has to use a counter-top oven – I’m assuming a toaster oven or a counter convection oven. I think she has success because the cooking elements are closer to the bread and pan. I use a “cheap” pan which is pretty thin. It comes to temperature quickly where as my better pans take longer to heat through. You will most likely have to cook longer and see how it works for you and then adjust from there. Baking for 90-100 minutes is not unheard of depending where people live and how individual oven temperatures vary. It’s a nice recipe, but there is often a learning curve with the first loaf. Make sure not to over mix. I use a hand mixer. You may use any vinegar. I have used white, red wine and cider. I think my favorite is the red wine. It doesn’t matter. The vinegar is there to add more oomph in the rise. Let me know how your loaf works out and if it isn’t where you want it, I will trouble shoot with you. Again, psyllium recipes can be a little tricky. -Kim
I made this today. It looks really purplish in color. I used the Now brand of psyllium husk powder.
Hi, Mary Kay. Perhaps the NOW company has changed distributors. If the color is off-putting then I would suggest buying the Jay Robb psyllium husk powder. I hope you enjoyed the bread nonetheless. Thanks for letting me know. -Kim
The apple cider vinegar is reacting with the baking powder to turn it purple. Buy a baking powder that does not have aluminium in it.
Delicious! I added extra water, baking powder and vinegar. Texture was just right. I made a mini loaf and then scooped “buns” per another comment. The extra vinegar really gave it that yummy sourdough taste. I’m going to attempt using a nut-free replacement for the almond flour because we have allergies in our house. All in all I’m am beyond grateful for this recipe ❤!
Gretchen, I am so happy that you liked the recipe. I still have to make buns, I don’t know why I haven’t… Take a look at Low Carb Yum and maybe ADIDAF – I think one of them has a coconut flour recipe. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Have a wonderful week. -Kim
LOVE this recipe! Great texture and taste.
One question: Do you have any tips for high altitude baking? I had to bake the loaf for almost two hours.
Thank you!
Jacki
Thanks Jacki. Somewhere in the comments someone mentioned something about high altitude cooking. I would start looking at the half way mark and continue down. It was with in the last several months (6?) that it was posted. I’m sorry, but I have no experience with high altitude cooking. I am in Southern California at 1096 feet above sea level. -Kim
Has anyone else tried this with a silicon bread pan? If so, what happened?
Did it work or not?
Also, have you experimented with protien powder at all in this recipe?
Thank you.
Hi, Rosanne, great questions. I don’t remember anyone saying that they used a silicone bread pan on this recipe. Let me speak about pans for a minute. Metal pans heat up faster and give a faster lift to baked goods – especially from the bottom and sides. They also cool down a bit faster. Glass baking dishes take longer to reach temperature but also take a long time to cool. This sometimes results in over baked goods and is why one often sees directions calling for reducing oven temperature by 25 degrees if a glass pan is used. Silicon bake pans are great non-stick pan options. I feel that they take a long time to heat and do not transfer heat as well as traditional pans. I like them for mini quiches and cheesecakes, but not for muffins, cupcakes or bread options. Silicone is often used as heat safe oven mitts because it does not get hot or at least resists heating. So, that’s my 2 cents about bake ware.
I have not experimented in using protein powder in this recipe. I like the recipe as is, but protein powder mixed with the almond flour may produce a more bread-like product. I would only use 1/4 – 1/3 cup on my first attempt if I were going to try it. If the bread was dry, then I would know that I used too much. If it was more bread-like in texture but not quite where I wanted it, I would add 2 T more until I thought I got it where I liked it. I hope this helps. Happy recipe tinkering. -Kim
I wish I could use this recipe because it loooks sooo good! But my husband is allergic to almonds so any recipe using it I can’t try. Could I sub coconut flour in any way possible and it work? I’m having a very hard time finding a low carb bread that actually holds up as bread for us both to eat. I tried one mainly with flax and it was gross. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks.
Hi Ashley. I have only tested the recipe as written. Almond flour and coconut flour have such different properties and I would have to do testing to get the right ratio. Alas, I am away from home at the week. Try All Day I Dream About Food and Low Carb Yum. Both have a psyllium bread recipe and I believe that one of them has a recipe with coconut flour. Actually, I just popped over to Low Carb Yum and she has several bread recipes. Type “bread” into her search box. Also Google “soul bread” or even “cloud bread” for other options. I hope this helps. -Kim
Hello,
This looks delicious! I was wondering can I substitute almond flour with other flours such as : buckwheat, amaranth or teff or flax meal?
That’s a great question, Fiona. I have only tested the recipe as is. There is a recipe that uses coconut flour on Low Carb Yum, but I am uncertain of the other flours. I do not use any of the ancient grains in cooking and am unfamiliar with their properties. -Kim
OK…I have cooked for Decades…but sorry this recipe is so hard to follow…I have NO CLUE!! WHAT are you MIXING when you pour the HOT water into a small bowl??? You do Not say!! Just that until its incorporated…??? Please tell me….
Hi Florida, I’m so sorry if there is a mistake. We imported all of the recipes into a new recipe program and there have been problems on many recipes. I have been going through them by hand, looking for errors. This will be corrected shortly. Thank you so much for letting me know this one had an error. I really appreciate it. Have a wonderful day. -Kim
Florida, I have made a small change. The small bowl previously used to measure the weight of the egg whites is rinsed ans placed back on the scale. The hot water is measured and weighed into that smaller bowl. Then, the measured hot water is poured over the ingredients that were mixed together in the previous step (egg white and dry bread ingredients in the big bowl). There is no other place to pour the water. 🙂 Then all is mixed with a hand mixer until “just” incorporated. I hope this explanation makes it more clear. Thank you again for alerting me to the fact that the recipe was unclear. As a mom who just wants to help people by sharing recipes I make at home, I appreciate any positive feedback that makes me better. -Kim
Hi, I was wondering how you calculated your nutrition facts? You didn’t put a serving size, so I’m not sure if this is a large slice of bread, or very thin. Is the nutrition info for one or two slices? Thank you.
Hi Aubree. The loaf serves 20 so cut the bread into 20 slices and 1 slice is a serving. I am using a new recipe program for the blog and it doesn’t differentiate between how many servings and serving size very well. I’m sorry. I calculate my nutrition facts in a cookbook program called MasterCook. I weigh all of the ingredients and add them. The program calculates the nutritional information per how many servings I state. Thanks for asking. I hope this helps. -Kim
Hi Kim. Thanks for your reply regarding the serving size- that is helpful information to have. I actually have another question about the size of the bread pan. My loaf pan is 9×5, and I called a few people to see if I could borrow an 8×4, but it seems that everyone I know has only a 9×5. Maybe this is the standard loaf pan size? I’m not sure how I can make this recipe now without having the right size pan. Do you think it would still work in my slightly larger pan?
Thanks
Yes, Aubree, it will work but your loaf will be a little shorter is all. It will still taste the same. -Kim
Great! I’ll be making it tonight! Thanks
Wow, this turned out wonderfully! I only had a 9×5 pan to use and it worked quite well. I also used bulk psyllium husk from my local health food store and a coffee grinder to powder it. I followed the recipe to a tee, except I whipped my egg whites before adding them to dry mixture. I’ve always heard that this will make things fluffier. I baked for the full 90 minutes. I didn’t have a thermometer to check the internal temperature, so I may have actually taken it out a bit too soon. The inside of the bread loaf, especially towards the middle is very moist still which is too bad. But once I’ve popped it into the toaster, it tastes great! I think I’ll try for 100 minutes next time (or buy a thermometer!)
Kim- how long will this bread stay fresh if it is sealed in the fridge?
Thank you so much for your fantastic recipe and prompt replies- you’re awesome!
Hi Aubree, I’m glad your bread turned out well. I wouldn’t whip the whites next time. The vinegar works on the leavening agent and provides all the lift you need, but if you liked how your bread turned out – do it your way. 🙂 The bread will keep in the fridge for 7-10 days. Any longer than that and it will begin to mold. It freezes beautifully and I often freeze half of a loaf. It’s normal for the bread to be a little heavier towards the bottom and although it is moist it is not overly. Thank you so much for sharing what you did and that the pan worked for you. Have a wonderful weekend, Aubree. -Kim
My sister in law recommended your site and this bread recipe; I live at 7500 feet in CO and I followed the directions to a “t”…..I baked for 90 minutes at 350, left the bread in the pan as you suggested for five minutes and it slid out of my USA baking pan beautifully…..it looks just like yours and I’m so excited because it’s been almost a year since I’ve had a grilled cheese sandwich — absolutely, positively scrumptions!!! Thanks so much — can’t wait to try some of your desserts.
I’m so glad the recipe worked at your elevation and that you enjoyed the bread, Carrie. Thank you so much for letting me know. Have a wonderful weekend. -Kim
Note for those who were worried about the recipe…I live in Canada and don’t have the same brands. So I used those that I had, giving the flax, psyllium powder and almond flour an extra 30-60 seconds each grinding in my nut chopper. In fact, the almond flour became liquid in parts. Also, I tried doing the mixing in my Vitamix…which I recommend against.
All in all, however, while the bread is a bit funny inside (clearly not mixed enough), it tastes just fine and yeasty-bready which was what I was craving. So, take heart, it’s a great recipe and you couldn’t mess it up any worse than I did…try it out!
Thank you so much, Janine, for letting those in Canana know that the bread works great with the ingredients available there. You have been so helpful. Have a wonderful week! -Kim
Kim, hats off to you, I think I have tried almost all the other psyllium low carb breads on the web, but yours is my favorite. I love the heartiness that the flax seed gives it.
I am a “single” and tend to use buns/english muffin shapes more than bread slices so tried a half recipe of your bread as a bun.
A half recipe made 4 big hamburger size buns….you could get 5 english muffin sized ones from half the recipe.
They were GREAT. Maybe a bit to hearty for a hamburger if you prefer a fluffy bun, but great as halves toasted for open faced tuna fish salad, etc. And great toasted with butter and jam for breakfast.
I cooked mine 55 minutes and then took them off the baking sheet and left them cool on the oven rack as the oven temp fell back down. Nice crispy bottoms, no collapses. Just great great great buns.
I just used a big spring loaded ice cream scoop. to portion them out..minimal handling, and did flatten them a bit so to not get too big a dome.
Love them….eating one as I write this, and going back for seconds.
Thank you !!!!!
Thank you, Deborah! I love the idea of the buns. I bet they are perfect for open face sandwiches. I have been making sloppy joes a lot lately and have been wanting something to put them on. I bet this would be perfect. Thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed comment. I know people are going to love what you did! Have an amazing weekend. -Kim
PS I used Whole Foods in-house brand (365 brand) psyllium. Worked great, and no purple color (as with some others).
Awesome to know, Deborah. Thanks! -Kim
Kim, hate to wear out my welcome here, but wanted you / all to know, am now using a full 2 Tablespoons of baking powder and adding 20 oz of boiling water to the hamburger buns mixture with great success.
It lightens them up and they are more “bun like” then then denser bread you need for sandwiches, etc. And because they don’t have the weight of so much dough on top of them (as in a loaf pan), they rise beautifully, no big air holes and no collapsing.
I can’t tell you what a life changer this is for me. And I am the hero of my office for sharing it with several other formerly breadless low carbers. Packing lunches just got a WHOLE lot easier for a whole lot of people.. Thanks for just a great (and versatile) recipe.
Deborah, I enjoy reading your amazing comments. I must try your tweak for the hamburger rolls! And, was it you who sent me an email about the cinnamon rolls using this recipe? I am so behind with my “must try” list. Thank you again for your kind and informative comment. Have a fantastic week! -Kim.
I wish there were words to tell you how much this bread is LOVED ny my husband. He had a colonoscopy that went bad in 2014 and his colon hasn’t been the same, constant diarrhea and has to take an anti-diarrheal med daily. Your bread has stopped the diarrhea and has given him the hope that he may be able to stop the medication. I was careful to follow your recipe just as you specified and the meat thermometer helped tremendously. I’ve made it twice now and it’s perfect. Thank you again and again!
Juanita, my mother too, has problems with her colon. It’s a nightmare. I am so glad that your husband has found something that helps him. This comment has made my week. You know, he may be able to take psyllium powder instead of the bread if you guys get tired of it. I used to mix 1 tablespoon in a very large glass of water and flavor with liquid stevia drops (I liked the lemon flavor). Psyllium is also the main ingredient in Metamucil. Anyway, I am glad you are both enjoying the bread. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. Have a great day. -Kim
I made a loaf last week and you are right this is excellent and delicious bread. Thank you for sharing.
It is hard to stop eating it.
It also makes excellent French toast. Yum.
Do you need to store the bread in the refrigerator?
Good. I’m glad you like it, Sue. Yes, store in the refrigerator or it will mold. -Kim
Regarding storage, I took note of the suggestion to refrigerate to avoid molding, but how do you recommend wrapping it? I let it fully cool out of the pan and am loving that it is not soggy and is nice and crisp. I dont want to lose that texture by storing it wrong. How do you normally store it in the fridge? Foil? Paper bag? Saran?
Thanks!
Hi, Tiffany. It’s going to lose the nice outside texture anyway. I put it in a plastic bread bag or in a zip loc bag. Toasting it will bring back some of that texture. -Kim
I finally got around to making this loaf and it was delicious. Thank you for this recipe. Came together exactly as your instructions explained.
Andi, I’m so glad it came together easily and that you like how it tastes. Thanks for letting me know. Have a great day! -Kim
I made it!!! Loved it! WOOT WOOT! had it with my Homemade Chicken breakfast sausage! YUM!! two slices toasted only 6 net CARBS! 3 weight watcher points!! cool beans!! I’m going to add caraway seeds because I think it tastes like a good rye bread alternative!
Hooray! Thanks for commenting and letting me know that you liked the recipe. Your breakfast sounds delish. Don’t forget to drink lots of water with the bread. I love the idea of adding caraway seeds – good call. Have a great week. -Kim
Just came across this recipe in my desperate search for a good tasting low carb bread. Can you tell me if a person can taste the almond flour. I have tried almond flour in several recipes and not a huge fan. I really need to find a bread I can use on occasion though.
Hi Barbara. Honestly, I use almond flour so much that I don’t taste it anymore. I think the bread tastes more like sourdough and psyllium than almond flour. If you are looking for a great just-add-water bread, I really, really love the Sukrin Bread Mixes. My favorite is the Sunflower Pumpkin Seed bread. It is so good. It’s the only one I buy. If you really want to make something from scratch, All Day I Dream About Food has a coconut flour version of psyllium bread. I hope this helps. Have a nice week. -Kim
I have possibly a silly question about your Psyllium-Flax Bread. You suggest grinding and weighing the ingredients. Are these amounts listed in the recipe before, or after you have weighed the ingredients?
Hi Mary, great question! The grinding doesn’t affect the weight. I grind more than I need and then measure the weight. I hope this helps. Have a nice week -Kim
Thanks for this recipe. I would like to try it, but am a little confused as the first three ingredients are in oz while the rest have been converted to grams. Here in SA we only use grams so my question is, do you have the conversion for it or can I just use google!? I didn’t want it to flop! And you do mention that weighing is better.
We spoke on Facebook. That’s just how I weighed the ingredients. The first three ingredients were a bigger measure so I used ounces – what I am familiar with. The other ingredients were smaller and lighter so I used grams. I will re-do the post and update the recipe when I have time. Thanks so much for your question and I’m glad we could connect on Facebook! Have a nice weekend. -Kim
Thank you for a fantastic recipe … my wife and I just tasted our first slice
Finally a Keto bread that doesn’t taste like cake..
I will have to try this instead of Keto buns on hamburgers next..
So many possibilities so little time…
Thanks, Greg! I’m glad you and your wife liked the recipe. A woman wrote me many months ago saying that she made the recipe into cinnamon rolls. I admit that I haven’t tried it yet. She said that they were wonderful. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. Happy experimenting! -Kim
Any way you can write this recipe using cups, Tablespoons, teaspoons? I don’t have a scale.
Hi Kristen, great question. The answer is no. I’m sorry. Sometimes the psyllium bread recipes can be so temperamental that using cups, Tblsp, and tsp coupled with humidity or lack of leads to too much variation and can ruin the recipe. Smaller batch psyllium recipes work much better with standard measurements, but not larger recipes. Try Maria Emmerich’s recipe which is linked in the post, as she used standard measurements. I’m sorry. This is the only recipe that I am unwilling to fiddle with. I hope you understand. Have a very nice week. -Kim
Great to find the recipe with such good reviews. What hasn’t made my day is that you are clearly not in Australia, and my chances at finding those specific brands are bucklies and none 🙁
I’m sorry Kim. 🙁 Fortunately, I have lots of other recipes available on the site and on many of them I offer measurement conversions! You can always try it with what you have and see what happens. Just don’t be surprised if you bread turns purple, I have been told that some of the bags of NOW brand have resulted in purple bread, too. It does not affect the taste. I hope you have a nice week! -Kim
Hi Kim & Kim,
I’m in Australia and have been making this bread successfully for a few months – I use the Coles brand psyllium husk powder & Coles brand Golden Flaxseed powder & whole eggs not egg whites.
Mine never smells of ammonia and is never purple.
Mine is admittedly denser looking (less holes) than the pics in your post and a bit spongey/wet. Tastes great.
I can’t seem to ever get it to 215/20. The maximum I can get it to is 212 on a good day with 90 mins in a fan forced oven at 350.
I also have been using a rubber style non stick pan not metal I wonder if this affects the texture or internal temp?
I do only mix for the specific time but I may try shortening this next time to try and get a lighter more bread like texture. It rises well and has never collapsed.
I might also try egg whites next time to see if this changes texture.
Happy bread making and thanks Kim for the recipe it’s been a real life saver while my mother and I have not been able to eat grains 🙂
Nerida, I am so glad you like the bread. Thanks so much for adding some information for our Australian readers! The metal pan gets to temperature faster and gets the bread rising a little faster, but if you haven’t had any problems using the silicone pan and like the result, no need to purchase something new. I’d say that if your bread isn’t collapsing on itself upon cooling (it will just a tiny bit) then your bread has been cooking thoroughly. Thank you for your informative comment. Have a great week! -Kim
I live in a higher altitude area and I find I can only get these psyllium husk breads to work if I cook them in my counter top convection oven. I have had many failures with these types of bread but since I started using my little oven its always a success. I look forward to trying this recipe.
Thanks
Michelle, thank you so much for sharing that information. I was at a loss for helping people at high altitudes as I am pretty close to sea level. I will put a note in the post. I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as my family does. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and have a wonderful week! -Kim
So many recipes that I try from different blogs just don’t work out. I am so very happy that your recipe was NOT one of those! My diabetes is getting worse and I know it’s all diet related…so looking for a low carb, high fiber bread recipe that actually works, is like a dream come true!
I followed your bread recipe – weights, measures, gentle handling, NOW brand psyllium and all – still turned purple! It didn’t fall which I guess is the most important part. 🙂
The bread had the air-holes like yours and it was moist but not wet inside. It also sliced really well after it was completely cooled. I did grind WHOLE golden flax seed myself, though. I baked at 350 for 95 minutes to get up to 215 internal temp. I have not yet found a metal loaf pan to your size specs, but I did find a foil pan about that size and I baked on a cookie sheet.
The taste. Well, that first taste was of the bread was blah. I put a little butter on it and it did not really improve BUT as I ate, I realized that this is NOT a yeast bread, so no “yeasty goodness” smell while it was baking or taste in finished product. I continued to eat that piece and a small second slice and found myself enjoying it…with a full 2 cups of water, of course!
The bread slices nicely when cool. Even for a small loaf I was able to get sixteen slices out of the loaf which I will divide up and freeze in vacuum bags.
Hi Tammy. It turned purple! Oh, no! Lol. NOW must have changed their psyllium source! I’m sorry about that. I’m glad the loaf turned out – at least there is that. Try a little more salt if the bread was too bland for you. I miss that yeasty taste, too. You could probably try some Nutritional Yeast in the recipe next time. Make sure to grind it. It gives a cheesy – yeasty – savory flavor. I have’t tried it, but it may be good? Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment to let me know how it went. Have a great weekend, Tammy. -Kim
I admit I haven’t searched any where else on the site- have you tried using this recipe to make hamburger buns or dinner rolls at all?
Hi Serena. I haven’t tried to make this recipe into rolls, but Maria Emmerich has a recipe for rolls using psyllium powder on her site http://mariamindbodyhealth.com I haven’t made them yet, but people like them. For dinner rolls, I generally make coconut flour drop biscuits from the Bruce Fife book “Cooking With Coconut”. I hope this helps.. Thanks for your question. -Kim
Thank you for posting this recipe! It is really delicious and does have a sourdough bread taste. I made this last night and it came out just like your pictures! Your tips were really helpful and I followed your instructions which I think made all the difference. I had tried the similar recipe from Maria Emmerich’s website but my bread collapsed and it was a much smaller, denser loaf. This one has a really nice rise with a good crunchy exterior and soft, pliable interior. Your instructions to not over mix it really helped with the airiness of the bread. I did bake mine for 100 minutes just to make sure it wasn’t going to collapse. Thanks for all your guidance in this recipe!
Hi Catherine. Yay! I’m so glad the recipe worked out for you and that you like the bread. Thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed comment — I know it helps others. Have a wonderful week. -Kim
I followed this recipe exactly and this is the best low carb bread I have ever tried. I wish I would have found this recipe before the other 10 that didn’t turn out. It tastes like sour dough bread…yum! Thank you so much for the recipe.
Melissa, I am thrilled that the recipe was a success. I like this bread, too! Thanks for leaving a comment and have a nice day. -Kim
I forgot to put in the apple cider vinegar and it still tasted great. I wonder how the acv would have changed it?
I used a bag I had of flax meal w/berries- tasted great!
Hi Elle. I am so surprised that the recipe worked without the acv! It activates the baking powder (soda?) and makes it rise. Well, you’ll have to include the acv next time and see what the difference is. Thanks for letting me know! -Kim
I made this recipe last night. I loved the detailed instructions. I always weigh my ingredients out like that but it was nice to see that someone else does too, zeroing the scale and adding the next one! I let it cool overnight and tasted it this morning and it is good. Mine baked for a super long time though (probably at least 90-95 minutes). It is very heavy, I’m curious about how it will look in the center, I feel like I could have cooked it even longer. I had a thermometer in the oven. Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Barbara. I agree that weighing ingredients is the way to go. I’m glad you like the bread. I think that if your bread didn’t collapse in the middle, then it is cooked all the way through. There will be little areas where the ingredients clumped together, but it sounds like it was a success. Thanks for the comment and I hope you enjoy your week. -Kim
Hi Kim, I’ve made this a few times now and LOVE LOVE LOVE it. It did seem to work out better when I went to the dollar store and got cheap pans! They were exactly the right size too, slightly smaller than the “good” pans. However, now i have another question. I found that when I stuck the thermometer in, it later showed big holes when cutting. So I’ve been using a very thin skewer and that doesn’t seem to leave holes. But yesterday’s loaf has a big space all along the top length of the bread (so when you slice it, there appears to be about 3/4″ empty space all the way through the loaf (long ways). I have no idea if this is from under-mixing, over-mixing, baking too long, or not baking long enough. Any ideas? It looks beautiful, all risen and nothing caved from the outside. Thanks!
Hi Barbara. I use a “cheap” pan for this recipe, too. I think the thin metal helps it get hot faster and rise faster and better. I’m glad you like the recipe and that it has been working for you. Yes, the thermometer does leave a hole in the bread, so I only check the temp at the very end of cooking. The large hole in the middle of the bread you are describing is called “tunneling”. I often see this in my daughters gluten free Udi bread. Sometimes a whole slice will have more hole than bread! It’s disappointing. It may be that there is a large pocket of air trapped in the bread when it goes into the pan. Try lifting and then dropping the filled pan on the counter (only from a few inches) once or twice to distribute the dough and help collapse some of the larger air bubbles. Let me know if this helps. Thanks for your comment and question. Have a great week! -Kim
Totally out of topic but your children are just so cute!!
Thank you for the recipe, I will try it out!
Awww. Thanks, Nadia. I think they are cute, too. I am so lucky to be their mom. I’m very thankful for International adoption. Have a nice day! -Kim
Hi! Great recipe! Extremely high fiber content though, so what’s the thinking on how much of this one should eat in a day? How much does your family consume? Thanks!!
Hi Karen, great question! Yes, it is very high in fiber. I would typically have 1 piece every day or every other day. I cut it a little thinner for the kids and they have it for lunch. I also pack a water for them and let them know that they MUST drink the water with their sandwiches. I actually haven’t made the bread in a month or two as I’ve been busy and lazy. I have been giving the kids Udi bread and have made the Sukrin Sunflower Bread Mix for my husband and myself. It is also made with psyllium powder so I eat it the same was as above – 1 piece every other day or so. I hope this helps. Enjoy your weekend! -Kim
Hi Kim, your bread looks lovely! I am curious to know if it has the texture and taste of a normal bread
Also, does it turn out moist or well done like normal bread?
I look forward to your thoughts. Thanks!
Hi, Sarah. Thanks for your compliment. The bread tastes like sourdough bread. It does not have the same texture as regular wheat bread, nor does it have the same cake-like texture of other nut based low carb breads. It is sturdy enough for sandwich bread but elastic of floppy enough that it doesn’t crumble apart. I hesitate to use the word “spongy” because that is not exactly accurate either. It is more moist than dry, but it is not wet. I keep it in the fridge so it doesn’t mold. If I toast it in the pan with butter, the outside gets crispy. Most people who make the bread like it. If you are worried what to do with all of that psyllium powder if you do not like the bread, I have been using it in some of my baking recipes. It lets me use more liquid to get a nice big muffin or cake yield. I also use about 1/2 teaspoon in any protein smoothie I make to help bulk it up and up my daily fiber intake.
I hope this helps. -Kim
I made this for the first time in response to my husband’s request for a Paleo bread that is more like real bread. Baked for 85 minutes but it was still only at 209º. Didn’t want to overbake so took it out and it was fine! Some airholes at the top inside and it was pretty dense and moist so I’m thinking I probably should have baked it longer. I used parchment paper on the bottom of my pan for easy removal so maybe that hindered quicker baking. Not much taste to it, although I did notice the lingering sourdough flavor.
I do have one question: in my research psyllium husk powder is not really Paleo whereas psyllium seed powder is. Do you know if this recipe would work just as well with the seed powder? I’d definitely like to make it again! Thank you for a great recipe– there are so many things on your site I’d like to try!
Thank you for the comment and the compliment Diane. I really appreciate it!
You should not need the parchment paper for easy removal if you prepare your pan with baking spray or olive oil. Oil it liberally. I have found over the years that coconut oil does an inferior job of lubricating baking pans so I suggest a commercial baking spray, butter/ghee or olive oil. If your bread did not collapse upon cooling, then it was probably cooked enough. I under-salt things so you may want to add more salt if there was not enough “flavor”?
Paleo. I followed a strict Paleo diet for a year and then relaxed it quite a bit as I realized that my body did not tolerate the natural sugars and starches that were allowed on the diet. I went back to “Low Carb” because that is what works for me. However, while I was eating Paleo I did notice that there were two camps – those who were almost militant and those who allowed more things in their diet if their bodies tolerated it. I post things as Paleo towards the more flexible side and let people decide if it’s something they want to eat or tweak. I was not aware that psyllium husks were not paleo. I find them a wonderful aid to baked goods and I even use the powder in my smoothies instead of xanthan gum, as a natural thickener and fiber source. I am not familiar with the seeds and would think that they are completely different than the husks. Let me use oats as an example… The oat groat is covered in a papery husk. This is often ground and sold as oat fiber, a product that has an equal amount of fiber as carbs, which is different from the seed or groat portion inside of husk which contains carbs, fats and proteins. I may have my facts wrong, but that was the best example I could think of. I think the psyllium seed is going to be completely different than the husk. Perhaps that is why one is paleo and the other is not; one has nutrition and the other is just fiber.
I hope I did not annoy you with my long response. I tend to be wordy. Have a great weekend! -Kim
Thank you so much, Kim, for your detailed response–I really appreciate it! My understanding of why psyllium husk is not considered Paleo is that it is insoluable fiber whereas psyllium seed is a soluable, probiotic fiber that is “good for the gut” to put it simply. I hear what you are saying about the differences between the husk and the seed and can see where they are probably different to bake with. Psyllium seed also does not seem to be as widely available as the husk, but I certainly would like to try doing something with it! I must say that even though psyllium husk is not considered Paleo it does make a beautiful bread (I also have a nice recipe using psyllium husk for burger buns) and I still prefer it for bread over grains for diet purposes. I have been making a pretty decent sandwich bread with almond flour which we’ve used for some time, but my husband was wanting something a little more like the texture of the grain breads if possible–yours gets us there! And since we still don’t eat bread that often, I don’t mind deviating a bit as long as our digestive systems can handle it. Now I must be the one to apologize for the length of my response! Thank you for your time, and recipes, Kim!
No problem, Diane. Thanks for your graciousness and the explanation, I love learning new things. Have a great week! -Kim
Hi Diane,
Would you be willing to share a link to the bun recipe? You can never have too many in your repertoire! Thanks in advance!
Can you convert you grams and ounces to cup and table/tea poons.
thanks
Hi, Katy! I’m sorry, but as I stated in the post, because these ingredients are so tricky to work with I will only post this particular recipe in weights. I’m not trying to be unhelpful, I just want people to have the best possible success with it. Try Maria’s recipe on mariamindbodyhealth.com which is more of a white bread look. She has it posted both in standard measurements and in weights. She added the weights because so many people were having trouble with the standard measurements int the recipe. Have a nice day. -Kim
G’day Kim —
Looks like a terrific recipe. So what if it turns out purple sometimes? 🙂
I work in metric. Are the egg whites, vinegar and water measured in ounces or fluid ounces? Either way, what is the best equivalent in grams (as opposed to millilitres)?
Go well!
David
Hi, David. Thanks! I just measured in weight, not fluid ounces. I used Google to translate the ounces to grams and have added it to the recipe. I hope that helps. Be well! -Kim
Cool! Just like a real pastry chef. 🙂 I’ll try this out with Aussie ingredients and post back if you want.
Go well!
David
Sure, David! Thanks. I would love to hear how Aussie ingredients work with the recipe! Have a good week! -Kim
Hi, I made this bread today. I followed your recipe to the letter and all the timings correctly. I checked the bread after 60 min with a therm.and it was 205 degrees, after another 10 min it was 210 degrees, then I kept it in for another 15 min since it was only going up 5 degrees every 10 min. The loaf was nicely browned, the dome was high…looked just like your pic. I take it out and within minutes it sunk. I waited until it was fully cooled to cut into it and when I did the bottom was not fully cooked, the texture was quite rubbery. I will keep trying to make this this because the taste was quite good. Is it supposed to have a rubbery texture or like a regular bread texture? I am hoping that since I now know the timing of my oven, I won’t test the bread temp until 70 minutes at least, hopefully this will keep the bread from collapsing….kinda reminded me of a souffle lol. I thought that by waiting for 60 minutes to go by before testing would keep if from deflating?
Hi, Julie. I’m sorry about the loaf. How frustrating. That happened to me a few times with the original recipe. You should still be able to toast it up in a frying pan with some butter and enjoy it that way. Yes, the texture is a little more rubbery because of the psyllium powder and the bottom of the loaf tends to be a little more dense than the middle and top.
I have changed the baking time of the bread to 70-80 minutes because I think that is more appropriate. Sometimes my loaves take 80 minutes to reach that 215-220 temperature mark. My loaf will shrink a bit upon cooling but it doesn’t collapse like a souffle. The only thing I can say is to make sure not to over-mix. Other readers have mentioned that they purchased the NOW brand psyllium husk powder and their bread turned purple. I bought a 12 pound bag this Summer, and still have quite a bit left, so I am unsure if they have sourced their product from a different purveyor or what. If they have, then an adjustment with the liquid would be needed. I suggest trying again to see if you have a different result. If not, then reduce the water by 1 ounce and see how that works. It is a very temperamental recipe. Keep me posted. -Kim
Hi- just wanted to make sure about the size of the bread pan. Mine is a USA anodized pan measuring 8.5×4.5 and that is the inside top measurement of the pan. How are you measuring your pan? Thank you, Susan
Hi Susan. The bread pan says “8 in x 4 in”, but I just measured it and it has me scratching my head… The bottom measurement (outside – I flipped it over) is 7 3/4 inch x 3 3/4 – including the curve and the upper inside measurement is 8 1/2 inch x 4 1/2 inch! So it looks like it may be the same? May I suggest that you use something stronger than coconut oil for spraying the pan? It may stick. Thanks for your question! -Kim
Can I usea 9×5 loaf pan?
Sure, Kristen. The loaf may be just a little shorter than the photos in my post and the time may be off just a little, but it won’t affect the recipe. -Kim
Hi Kim, I just found your version of the psyllium-husk bread via a google search for psyllium husk that did not turn purple. I made Maria’s version yesterday using NOW psyllium Husk powder but it did turn purple – albeit very tasty. However, I used it straight out of the bag. I’m wondering if the extra grinding will make a difference – I plan on trying your version and instructions. I did weigh everything that Maria said to weigh but with your recipe I will weigh the egg whites as well. I used my convection oven @ 325 degrees and a total bake time of 70 minutes (I opened the oven door @ 60 minutes and tried tapping it for hollowness and wasn’t quite sure so put it in for 10 minutes more – I currently have no thermometer). With your recipe & my oven I will start with 70 minutes bake time. You advise not to take the bread out or open the door in case it falls, but how do you do the temp check when not knowing for sure how long to bake? And where do you stick the probe in – right in the middle? That won’t make it fall? (I keep thinking this must bake somewhat like a soufflé that can fall with the egg whites – although I’ve never baked one of those!)
Also, although I sprayed my pan well with coconut oil, it still didn’t want to come out of the pan, so I’m thinking of lining the bottom and long sides with a piece of parchment paper and spraying the pan. Then I can just lift the bread out.
I was going to order the Jay Robb brand but I just opened the NOW brand and really want to use it, plus the two places I found online that sell the Jay Robb version is out of stock at the moment.
Great advice on salvaging the not so successful attempts and love all the details – I’m excited to explore your site for more tasty recipes. I’m new to low-carb/keto eating (couple of months into it) but I finally can walk through the grocery bakery and not be COMPELLED to pick up some of their sweets. I am a former Type II Diabetic having had normal glucose readings since gastric sleeve bypass but had gradually started eating more unhealthy carbs and then fighting my pre-surgery urges for sweets and crackers. I’m terrified of the diabetes “coming out of remission.” Even though I can no longer eat a lot at one sitting, I can graze throughout the day to make up for that – a no-no for WL surgery patients. But now on the keto eating plan I am not hungry every 1-2 hours like I was pre-keto and can manage on 2-3 small meals for the day.
Sorry for the long post. Thanks for taking the time to reply.
Hi Debbie. Great questions, all. So the NOW brand ground psyllium turned purple? I wonder if the company is sourcing their product from another supplier? If it turned purple with Maria’s recipe then it will with mine, too. Yes, I wouldn’t even think about removing the bread from the oven until the 70 minute mark. What I was trying to caution against is not taking it out of the oven and calling it “done” if it was under cooked because it would collapse. That is why I suggest to use the insta-read thermometer. Of course, one can open the oven door to stick the thermometer into the bread and push it back into the oven if it’s not quite done. I’ve had to cook it for 70 minutes many times, depending on how the ingredients wanted to act that day. No, it doesn’t bake like a souffle, the psyllium is just an interesting ingredient that needs to be cooked completely so that it can hold this loaf’s structure. I have found that when using coconut oil, almost everything sticks. It just doesn’t have the same lubricating power that Pam or butter have. Honestly, I use Pam and I have never had a problem with the loaf sticking. I know that some people don’t like that product and I totally understand. Congratulations on your victory over the grocery store – we’ve all been there! Thanks for your comments and questions and for sharing a little about yourself. Have a nice Thanksgiving week if you celebrate. Thanks again. -Kim
Hi- I’ve made this wonderfully delicious bread two times now. It’s not rising as high as the bread in your photos above. Based on your experimentations, do you have any idea why this may be happening? I’ve followed your directions and ingredients list exactly, and was very careful not to over mix (I definitely mixed for no more that 10 seconds. ).
Btw, I will definitely be sharing this recipe with my low carb friends. It is so good!!
Hi, Sarah. Honestly, that was an exceptional loaf and I am happy that it looked as beautiful as it did for the photo. The other loaves I make are not quite as high although they do come close. The only thing I can say to try is to make sure that you are hardly handling it while shaping/bringing it to the pan. The psyllium is so unpredictable at times that I still get little clumps every once in a while. Maybe try adding a touch more or less water if you feel like experimenting? I’m happy you like the recipe and thrilled that you will be sharing it. Have a nice weekend! -Kim
Thanks, Kim. I’ll do a little experimenting.
Hi! I tried Maria’s recipe several times but it came out extremely gummy. I tried yours and it was a lot better, but it was still gummy inside and also I couldn’t reach a temperature of anything over 200 even though it was in the oven for quite a while. I live in a place where it is high altitude, do you have any suggestions? I followed everything exactly.
Really nice taste btw, I really wanna get it right so I can enjoy it even more 🙂
Thanks for the nice compliment Gabi. First, let me say that I know absolutely nothing about high altitude cooking. Would baking at a higher temperature like 375 or 400 be more appropriate? The bread DOES need to cook for a long time and sometimes I go over that 70 minute mark. I rely on that insta-read thermometer.
Although this bread is not “gummy” to me, the psyllium can sometimes clump together in spots and it is definitely more dense at the bottom of the loaf. This bread does not have a ‘true bread’ texture, but shouldn’t be gummy. It’s my experience that a gummy texture can be a result of over mixing or not baking long enough. I would try the higher temperature. If you want to troubleshoot this further with me, send me an email. I will be happy to do my best to help! If you have more success in the meantime, will you let us know what you did? It may help someone else in your situation. Have a nice weekend!
Hi! I am all set to try this recipe tonight now (v excited albeit a little bankrupt) but although it mentioned pre-heating the oven it doesn’t actually state what temperature to cook the loaf at for the 60-70 minutes?!
It’s right at the top of the ingredients. Bake at 350 but check the temp of the bread before removing. If you don’t have an instant read thermometer, then bake for the 70 minutes before removing. If the first loaf doesn’t work out email me (found on the About page) and we will trouble shoot. -Kim
Just wondering if this could be made in a bread machine? Possibly with using a yeast packet?
Hi, Kelly. Unfortunately, this bread would not work in a bread machine — it would be an over-worked gummy mess. BUT, I am working on a yeast bread recipe for Focaccia which I predict would make good gourmet sandwiches or sheet pizza. Keep your fingers crossed. Thanks for your question! -Kim
Hi! Just found your blog- did you ever make that yeast risen focaccia bread (low carb) excited!
Hi Petra. I tested and tested and it never had the right texture. I gave up for the time being and will have to wait until I get inspired again. So sorry! Have a nice day. -Kim
Omg, it worked! I have tried several other versions of this bread with disappointing results. This was by far the quickest, easiest recipe. It takes 2 minutes to get out all the ingredients. Then I turn on my Kerig for the hot water. Grab the scale, measure everything out by weight (no measuring cups to wash). Got boiling water ready, pop all in my kitchen aid mixer per instructions, and into the oven. 10 minutes prep start to finish. Makes the most beautiful loaf which does NOT fall as other recipes did.
I have celiac and IBS. For some reason (perhaps the flax and psyllium) it really regulates my digestive track. Much less IBS symptoms for me.
Thank you so very much!
Wow! I am absolutely thrilled that this recipe was not only easy for you to prepare, but that it seems to be helping you. BEST. COMMENT. EVER! Michelle, thanks for taking the time to leave such a glowing and helpful comment. Have a great weekend. -Kim
can you smell the vinegar in the bread after baking? If so, is it essential to add vinegar? I thought we only need vinegar with baking soda, not baking powder. Thanks for sharing the recipe and tips. I want to try it, but my family really don’t like a strong vinegar smell. Thx.
Hi, Jackie thanks for your question. Yes, the vinegar is essential for the bread to rise. It does not smell like vinegar, but the bread does taste like sourdough bread. Here is what I suggest…
Add 2 Tablespoons erythritol (Swerve, Xylitol, Gentle Sweet) to the DRY ingredients, mixing well
Add 1/2 teaspoon maple flavoring to the vinegar and egg, mixing it in before adding it to the dry ingredients
Proceed with following the instructions. Remember, this bread is tricky and can not be over mixed or over handled. The instructions must be followed exactly and no subbing of ingredients. The first batch may not yield the best results. It will still be tasty and can be toasted in a frying pan and enjoyed with breakfast. I have never thrown out a kitchen failure unless there was no possible way to salvage it. These ingredients are expensive and I test my recipes at least three times before I post them. I make this recipe for my family 2-3 times a month.
Let me know how it works out. I am more than happy to troubleshoot any problems that may arise. It is a good recipe and I am enjoying a piece right now – I had to make sure it didn’t smell of vinegar! 🙂
Have a nice week! -Kim
I’ve had this pinned for a while, but finally took the plunge yesterday. Oh my goodness, so good! I toasted a piece of it this morning and topped it with smashed avocado, sliced tomato and a fried egg. Heaven! I’m so happy to have a bread-like vehicle in my breakfast routine again.
PS: I used whole husk psyllium from Organic India b/c I had it in my pantry and didn’t want to buy something new. I ground it in my coffee grinder and measured it out per your instructions. No blue or purple loaf and, as far as I can tell, it looks the same as yours. Just thought you (or others) might want to know!
Oh, Sue, I’m so happy you liked it. Your breakfast sounded so good! Thanks for the info on the Organic India whole husk psyllium. I noticed last time I was on Amazon that the NOW brand psyllium husk powder was hard to find. If anyone is using whole husks, make sure to grind it very fine, then grind it once more for good measure! Thanks again, Sue, and have a great week! -Kim
Delish!!! Have you tried making a lot and freezing them? Any success?
Yes, Elizabeth! It freezes beautifully. Thaw and keep it in the refrigerator as you use it. Have a nice day! -Kim
Kim, This was simply amazing. You have changed my life with this recipe and I am on cloud nine (wherever that is). I am a very good low carb cook. Even a great one. But bread… no, that wasn’t in my life. Today that was fixed. No more stupid “cloud” bread. Grilled cheese, toast, etc. We got an easy 18-20 slices out of each loaf.
Everything I’ve made of yours has turned out Aaahhh-mazing. You are that good. I should share my terrific pancakes with you in respect for your amazingness.
Patti
Patti, I am so glad you enjoyed the bread and thank you for the wonderful compiments. Yes, send the recipe to my email (found on my About page) and I’ll make it, shoot it, link to your site and give you credit for the recipe. I love pancakes and am always looking for good recipes! Have a nice week. -Kim
The bottom half of my loaf was a little wet even though it was in the oven for 70minutes and the thermometer reading was 215. Should I try adding minutes next time? It tastes great- the best I’ve tried so far.
Hi, Pat. I’m glad you liked your loaf even though it wasn’t perfect, yet. Let’s try to trouble-shoot this so you can have complete success. But before we do, I have some questions. First, are you following all of the tips and the recipe exactly? I can only guarantee the recipe to work if everything is followed to the letter right down to the cheap, smaller metal pan. Yes, the recipe is that touchy! Read through everything again before we start playing around with it. And, yes, I bake mine for at least 70 minutes or more. Let me run to the recipe and see if I talked about removing it from the pan. BTW, Pat, you can always shoot me an email – it’s on my About page. -Kim
Okay, I went back and added information on how I handle the loaf after baking. 🙂
I followed the directions exactly and bought the metal pan. Maybe I mixed too long or- I did take the loaf out of the oven a few times to measure temperature- it might be that. In any case I’ll continue trying because the taste and texture is exactly what I have been missing with other breads.
If you have any other suggestions, please let me know.
Pat
Hi Pat. It sounds like you did it right! 🙂 Now that you have a better idea about the timing, don’t pull the loaf out to check the temp until the 70 minute mark — for your oven. The mixing is key. It can’t be over mixed at either stage. Now, I will tell you that there will be areas or pockets throughout the loaf where the psyllium clumped together and those areas will be a little more dense – I hesitate to use the word “gummy”. The bottom quarter of the bread will be a little more “dense” than the upper portion. You may be able to tell if you examine the photos closely.
I’m happy you like the bread. Let me know how the next loaf turns out.
-Kim
70 minutes? The recipe says to cook it 80 to 90 minutes. ???
Hi Pat. Where are you seeing the 70 minutes? I originally posted the time as 70 minutes but because others said that it was taking them longer, I changed the time. I think that I missed one, but can’t seem to find it. I am close to sea level so maybe my time is a little shorter. My advice is to check with a thermometer at 70-80 minutes and see where the temperature is. Does this help? And if you could point out where that rascally “70 minutes” is I would love to change it. Have a great weekend! -Kim
Thanks for this great recipe and concise directions. My loaf turned out great, however, it turned blue. Do you know what would make it turn blue? I used a stainless steel mixing bowl, do you think that caused a reaction? Also, I used whole eggs… Thanks again!
Hi Elizabeth. I’m happy your loaf turned out. If you did not use Now brand psyllium powder, then I would imagine that’s the reason for your loaf turning color. Stainless steel is non-reactive. When I use the psyllium husks from the bulk section from my health food store, my loaf will be purple. I believe I mentioned that in the post? I’m glad that your loaf turned out with the whole eggs. Did it smell like ammonia? That is the reason I use whites. In any case, I hope you like the bread. Thanks so much for the feedback! Let me know if you have any more questions. Sincerely, Kim
I apologize for missing that part of your instruction about how the psyllium husks can turn the bread color. Sometimes I skim the important stuff… Ha ha. No, my bread does not smell like ammonia. It does smell strongly of flax seeds, but that doesn’t bother me. I am going to experiment with this recipe. I did add salt, and felt it could use a bit more, and I also added about 3T of coconut sugar. I think the sugar was perfect, but will increase the salt.
Elizabeth, no need to apologize. My husband says my posts are too long! lol It’s funny that you taste the flax, when I do not. Maybe the difference in brands? If it is something that you dislike, then Maria’s bread will be for you. Her’s makes a smaller loaf, but looks more like white bread. Again, thanks for the feedback. It is so valued by us food bloggers! 😉 -Kim
It is a reaction of the baking powder with the flax, depends o the baking powder, sometimes it turns out green.
Baking powder is reacting with the vinegar (acid) to turn it blue/grey. Buy a baking powder that does not have aluminium in it.
This is so expensive to make. Are there any shortcuts to make it affordable??TIA
Hi Jeannie. I certainly agree with you that the ingredients one uses to create great tasting low carb baked goods are expensive. I wish I had some ideas for shortcuts to make it more affordable, but maybe this will help you feel better about it.
I quickly added up buying 2 cartons of egg whites ($2.69×2), 1 package of Bob’s Red Mill Golden Flax Meal ($4.69), 1 package of NOW brand psyllium husk powder ($6.29) and 1 pound of almond flour ($5.99 in bulk at my health food store) and then divided by the number of loaves I could make with these ingredients, which is four. I came up with roughly $6.30 per loaf (dependent on the price of almond flour). That’s nothing to sneeze at – I know. But, if I purchase a loaf of gluten-free Udi bread for my kids to eat, I’ll pay over $6.00 and only get five sandwiches out of it and I can’t enjoy it because it is not low carb. I can get 10 sandwiches out one loaf of this psyllium-flax bread and I can enjoy a piece if I want. Even low carb bread like Julian Bakery’s low carb bread is $8.99 a loaf. Yes, it is 8-10 times the price of cheap store bought bread, but it is wholesome, filling, is almost like regular bread, tastes great, and is something my whole family can enjoy. It also freezes well. For my family, even though it is expensive, it works.
Oh, one more thing. I rarely throw away any failed attempts of my recipe testing unless it is completely unsalvageable. The less than perfect tests of this particular recipe were great sliced and fried in coconut oil or ghee/butter in a pan and topped with an egg.
Thank you so much for your comment and for sharing your concerns. It is important to me. Please let me know if there is anything else I can answer for you.
Sincerely,
-Kim
Plus you can make more than 1 loaf with those ingredients, right?
Yes, Elaine. One can get 4 loaves from:
1 – 3 pound bag of almond flour (price varies depending on source)
1 – 1 pound bag of psyllium powder (Now Psyllium Powder)
1 – 1 pound bag of golden flax meal (Bob’s Red Mill or your favorite brand)
2 – cartons of egg whites (generic grocery store brand)
2.69 x 2 = 5.38
$5.38 + $4.69 + $6.29 + $5.99 = $22.35
$22.35 / 4 = $5.5875
So it’s about $5.60 a loaf, not $10?
Thanks, Kami! Math was never my strong suit!
Actually, since it takes about 2 1/2 pounds of almond flour for the 4 loaves it is more like $6.30 a loaf or more depending on how much the almond flour is, which is MUCH better than the $10 I mistakenly cited above. I will change it.
Thanks so much for checking that out for me. I really needed you to tutor me in college math! Where were you? LOL. Have a nice day! -Kim