This yeast risen Keto focaccia is truly fabulous. And each slice has just 2g net carbs.
Greetings 👋
I heard a funny question yesterday. The question is “If you had to give up bread or human touch, for the rest of your life, which would it be?” And I’ll be honest, I had to really think about it. Bread is... just so good.
And so many people start out on a low carb diet thinking that they are saying good bye to "real" bread forever.
But I’ve got some good news.
Real low carb yeast bread is possible. You just need a little ingenuity and few specialty ingredients to make it. So far on the blog, I’ve shared yeast bread recipes for white sandwich bread, Farmer’s bread, ciabatta, and rye bread. And today, I give you…KETO FOCACCIA!
💬 Keto Dieters Often Ask
Traditional focaccia made with grain flour has about 210 calories for a 3oz 4x4-inch square. It is neither a high-calorie or a low-calorie food. It just kind of straddles the middle. But if you dip it in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then it brings the calorie count up to 330 calories.
The same 4x4-inch slice of traditionally made focaccia has 38g of carbohydrates and 1g of fiber, so 37g of net carbs. It is officially a high-carb food, but fear not. The Keto Focaccia that we are going to make today only has 2g net carbs.
Focaccia is a decadent yeasted flatbread. It is made like a pizza dough, but with more yeast, so it is a fluffier bread. It is also usually punctured, so it retains more moisture than other flatbreads. And it is usually topped with herbs and olive oil which gives it a lovely flavor.
The sky is the limit when it comes to toppings. Rosemary is the most common topping, but you can use dried herbs like basil, thyme, and oregano as well. Olives are a classic topping, as are fresh or sun-dried tomatoes. Pesto, parmesan, garlic, raw or caramelized onions are all good options.
So let's make some Keto flatbread!
🥣 Ingredients
- Warm (70-100 degree) Water- It is important that the water not be too hot or too cold. It should feel like bath water.
- Sugar- Don't panic when you see sugar on the ingredient list. The sugar will be converted to alcohol and carbon dioxide in the fermentation process so the carbohydrates will be canceled out.
- Quick-rise Yeast- While you technically don't have to proof quick-rise yeast, I always do it anyway. If it is going to fail, you want to know about it before wasting the expensive ingredients. If the yeast and water mixture doesn't foam, then throw it out and buy more yeast.
- Oat Fiber- Again, regular oats aren't Keto, but there is no call for concern. This isn't oat flour. Oat fiber is made from the fibrous husk of the oat and is very low in net carbohydrates.
- Vital Wheat Gluten- This is the secret ingredient to low carb yeast bread. It replaces the natural gluten in grain flour so you get a nice chewy pull to your bread.
- Lupin Flour- This is a low carb flour made from Sweet Lupin Beans. The bean is a legume though, so don't eat this flour if you are allergic to peanuts.
- Baking Powder- It may contain cornstarch, so read labels. To make your own low carb baking powder mix together 1 part baking soda to 2 parts cream of tartar.
- Kosher or Table Salt- Either one is fine in the bread dough.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil- You can get fancy with your olive oil, or not. It's an easy way to spend a lot of money, but regular store brand olive oil works perfectly well.
- Fresh Rosemary- You can use fresh or dried rosemary, but fresh will be more flavorful.
- Coarse Sea Salt- This is another ingredient that you can get fancy with if you like. This is the salt on top of the Keto Focaccia, so it'll be tasted more than the salt inside the bread.
📖 Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix together sugar, yeast, and warm water. Cover and set aside until bubbly, 5-7 minutes. If the mixture doesn't bubble, then the yeast is dead and you need to start again with fresh yeast.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together oat fiber, vital wheat gluten, lupin flour, baking powder, and 2 teaspoons kosher salt.
- You can use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or use a wooden spoon and your hands to knead the dough. Once the yeast mixture is bubbly, slowly mix it into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon or a bread hook. Slowly mix in ¼ cup olive oil. Mix until no dry spots remain and dough forms one mass.
- Knead or mix on low with the bread hook for 5 minutes. The dough should be rather wet. If it is still stringy and doesn't easily form a ball, add more warm water, by the tablespoon, until it does.
- Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large (11 inch) cast iron pan and grease all sides with it.
- Form the dough into a ball by folding it under the sides. Place the dough into the cast iron pan. Flatten the ball into an approximately 8-inch disk. Brush 1 tablespoon olive oil over the top of the dough.
- Cover the pan with a cloth towel and set it aside to rise for 60-90 minutes until the dough reaches the sides of the pan.
- Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Use the handle end of a wooden spoon or knife to press indentations into the dough, about 1 inch apart. Press until the utensil hits the bottom of the pan. Brush the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over the top of the dough.
- Sprinkle rosemary and coarse sea salt over the dough.
- Bake until the top is medium brown and the internal temperature reaches 200 degrees F, 10-15 minutes.
- Cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then remove from the pan and cool on a rack for 30 minutes before cutting.
So that's that, then.
Focaccia is surprisingly easy to make at home and works really well as the base for gourmet sandwiches. Who can say no to this yeasty low carb bread with a crusty exterior and tender interior with a great chewy pull? I’m getting hungry just mulling over the possibilities.
Alright, time for me to make another batch of Keto focaccia.
📋 Recipe
Fabulous Keto Focaccia
This yeast risen Keto focaccia is truly fabulous. And each slice has just 2g net carbs.
- Prep Time: 90
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 slices 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Diabetic
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups warm (70-100 degree) water
- 1 ½ teaspoons sugar*
- 1 envelope (2 ¼ teaspoons) quick-rise yeast
- ½ cup oat fiber
- 1 ¼ cup vital wheat gluten
- ¾ cup lupin flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon table salt)
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil for bread dough
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil for pan
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- coarse sea salt, to taste
Instructions
Step 1. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together sugar, yeast, and warm water. Cover and set aside until bubbly, 5-7 minutes. If the mixture doesn't bubble, then the yeast is dead and you need to start again with fresh yeast.
Step 2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together oat fiber, vital wheat gluten, lupin flour, baking powder, and 2 teaspoons kosher salt.
Step 3. You can use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or use a wooden spoon and your hands to knead the dough. Once the yeast mixture is bubbly, slowly mix it into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon or a bread hook. Slowly mix in ¼ cup olive oil. Mix until no dry spots remain and dough forms one mass.
Step 4. Knead or mix on low with the bread hook for 5 minutes. The dough should be rather wet. If it is still stringy and doesn't easily form a ball, add more warm water, by the tablespoon, until it does.
Step 5. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large (11 inch) cast iron pan and grease all sides with it.
Step 6. Form the dough into a ball by folding it under the sides. Place the dough into the cast iron pan. Flatten the ball into an approximately 8-inch disk. Brush 1 tablespoon olive oil over the top of the dough.
Step 7. Cover the pan with a cloth towel and set it aside to rise for 60-90 minutes until the dough reaches the sides of the pan.
Step 8. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F.
Step 9. Use the handle end of a wooden spoon or knife to press indentations into the dough, about 1 inch apart. Press until the utensil hits the bottom of the pan. Brush the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over the top of the dough.
Step 10. Sprinkle rosemary and coarse sea salt over the dough.
Step 11. Bake until the top is medium brown and the internal temperature reaches 200 degrees F, 10-15 minutes.
Step 12. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then remove from the pan and cool on a rack for 30 minutes before cutting.
Notes
*The sugar will be converted to alcohol and carbon dioxide in the fermentation process so the carbohydrates are canceled out. The sugar has been left out of the nutritional info.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 162
- Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 10
- Fiber: 8
- Protein: 13
Keywords: low carb focaccia, keto focaccia, low carb rosemary focaccia, keto rosemary focaccia
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Munira says
Hi
Is it possible to replace lupine flour with almond flour or flaxseeds meal ?
I don’t have lupine flour
Emily Krill says
Yes, you can make a similar dough with almond flour and flaxseed meal and use it to make the focaccia. Here's that recipe: https://www.resolutioneats.com/blog/keto-yeast-bread/#tasty-recipes-8955-jump-target Make the dough using the dough ingredients listed and Steps 1-8. Once you have the dough, begin following the focaccia recipe at Step 5. The only real difference will be the inclusion of the extra olive oil and the rosemary and sea salt.
Deb says
Hi, I am GF. How can I make this recipe?
EmilyKrill says
You cannot.
Irene says
Can I use all lupin flour instead of vital wheat gluten and oat fiber?
Tip = if you use "instant yeast" you don't have to "proof" it with warm water and sugar. Instant yeast should be added to the dry ingredients first then add your liquids. I never had a problem with instant yeast plus it eliminates a step and no sugar is needed.
EmilyKrill says
No, the recipe is designed to use vital wheat gluten and oat fiber. The bread needs gluten to get a chewy texture like normal yeast bread.
And I always proof my yeast before making low carb yeast breads because the ingredients are so expensive. If your yeast doesn't work, then the whole thing is a failure.
Jocelyn says
Is there a reason to not rise the dough before shaping it like we see in traditional focaccia recipes?
EmilyKrill says
This dough only needs to rise once, so this is the just the easiest way to make the focaccia.
Susan says
Hi. I just finished the recipe but my bread came out super salty and dry. I only used 1 Tsp of table salt and a bit of Malden for the top. Too much? Did I let it bake too long (15 minutes)? Did it need more water? I’d really like this to be successful but it’s unpalatable this way.
I used to bake with Almond flour but developed a sensitivity to it and have to learn a whole new bag of tricks. I’d really appreciate some help with the recipe. Thanks so much!
EmilyKrill says
Sounds like you did it right. I don’t know what Malden is though. It shouldn’t be too salty and dry if you follow the recipe as written.
Jodi says
Maybe you used a TBSP of baking soda instead of baking POWDER?
Amber says
How big of cast iron pan is best?
EmilyKrill says
I used an 11 inch cast iron pan for this recipe, although 12 inch is a little more common. Either size works well.
Maria says
Are there any subs for vital wheat gluten?
EmilyKrill says
No, I’m afraid not. The Vital Wheat Gluten is what gives the bread it’s elasticity.
Lisa says
That looks amazing!
EmilyKrill says
Thanks!
Tierrah says
Just made this and it’s amazing!!! Thank you for the recipe
★★★★★
EmilyKrill says
Sure thing. Thanks for letting me know you like it!
Michael says
Looks delicious.
EmilyKrill says
Thanks!