This Keto Italian Bread recipe is a real yeast bread with a soft chewy inside and a nice thick crust. And each slice has just 3g net carbs.
I’d like to dedicate today’s recipe to all the Keto bread makers out there.
Crazy diamonds who dream of a world where you can eat real bread again.
Well, I am happy to report that you can. I’m going to share a recipe for a real rustic Keto Italian Bread with a nice soft chewy interior and a lovely thick crust. You might just forget that you are on a low carb diet.
The secret to good bread is gluten.
Low carb flours don’t have it, so that’s why it’s so hard to get a truly satisfying low carb loaf of bread. Almond and coconut flour loaves just don’t have the bounce or the chew that you get with regular bread. They truly pale in comparison to real store-bought bread.
So how do you make a chewy Keto yeast bread with gluten?
To fix the chewiness problem, this Keto Italian Bread recipe adds vital wheat gluten to compensate for the lack of gluten in the almond flour we are going to use. Vital wheat gluten is a low carb flour that is all gluten and has very little starch. It’s made from wheat flour that has been hydrated to activate the gluten and then processed to remove everything but that gluten. In addition to adding elasticity, vital wheat gluten helps retain the gas and steam from baking and gives more volume to the baked bread.
Using vital wheat gluten in low carb bread takes it from a zero to a hero.
What else do you need for this Keto Italian Bread?
In addition to the vital wheat gluten, you'll need yeast, flaxseed meal, almond flour, salt, baking powder, extra virgin olive oil, butter, and sugar.
Sugar, you say?
Yes, you will be using the dreaded substance sugar, but hold up a minute before you pass judgment. The sugar is needed to feed the yeast. But it’s converted to alcohol and carbon dioxide in the fermentation process, so the carbs are canceled out.
And that's about it.
Soon you'll have a crusty, chewy, loaf of Keto Italian Bread with only 3g net carbs per slice.
So shine on you crazy diamonds.
This recipe goes out to you.
📋 Recipe
Keto Italian Yeast Bread
This recipe for low carb rustic Italian bread is a real yeast bread with a soft chewy inside and a nice thick crust.
- Prep Time: 1:15
- Cook Time: 45
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 12 slices 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Diabetic
Ingredients
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water, divided
- 1 teaspoon sugar*
- 1 envelope active dry yeast
- 1 cup vital wheat gluten
- 1 cup almond flour
- ¼ cup flaxseed meal
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tablespoon butter, melted
Instructions
Step 1. In a small bowl, mix together ½ cup warm (like bath water) water, sugar, and yeast until dissolved. Cover the bowl and allow to sit until frothy, about 10 minutes.
Step 2. In a large bowl, mix together the remaining dry ingredients.
Step 3. Add yeast mixture, remaining ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons water and olive oil to the dry ingredients and mix well with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer or a wooden spoon.
Step 4. Knead the dough for 3 minutes until it’s well combined. Use the dough hook of a stand mixer or your hands. Don’t over knead.
Step 5. Form the dough into an oval shape on a greased cookie sheet. Put the dough in a warm dry place and allow it to rise for 1 hour.
Step 6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and melt the butter in the microwave.
Step 7. Brush the top of the loaf with melted butter. Bake for 35-45 minutes until the crust is browned and the bread makes a hollow sound when you tap the bottom. The internal temperature should be between 190-200 degrees F. Check by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the side of the bread loaf. The closer to 200 degrees it gets, the crustier the bread.
Step 8. Allow to cool for 1 hour 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: 141
- Fat: 9
- Carbohydrates: 5
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 10
Keywords: Low Carb Yeast Bread, Low Carb Italian Bread, Low Carb Italian Yeast Bread
If you liked this bread, then you might like my Keto Lupin Flour Bread recipe with yeast.
Caroline Thornton says
No way I was waiting an hour to cut and taste. And it did not disappoint. I could eat the entire loaf! Thank you, thank you!
★★★★★
Dale Olstinske says
Whole Flax seed or ground? I had wildly varying results using both.
EmilyKrill says
The recipe calls for flaxseed meal, which is ground flaxseed.
G says
This is hands down the best keto bread I've made and I've gone through at least 4 different recipes. The bread's texture is very close to a cross between sourdough and white sandwich bread - there is crustiness on the outside with the inside chewy but not soft like a roll, and if you toast it it gets crisp and crusty on the sides as well. Such a great job on this recipe! The only thing is a find the bread more on the savory side, not sure if it's coming from the yeast or vital gluten but I'll try omitting the salt and see.
★★★★★
Loretta Hamilton says
OMG ! I am so excited about this recipe! I started healthy low carb eating about year ago. The thing I miss the most about low carb is eating bread. LOVE LOVE bread. However, most of the low carb recipes I have found have tons of eggs in the recipe. I am not fond of the taste at all. Then, I came across this recipe about a week ago. I went to get all the easy ingredients and just make my first loaf. I am blown away that this bread is low carb! It tastes and chews like real artisan bread! I ate a slice right out of the oven with some grass fed butter and was in heaven. Thank you so much for sharing this! I am ready to try all of your other recipes too! Yay, bread is back in my life!
★★★★★
EmilyKrill says
Hooray! So glad you like the bread. I’ve got a few other variations on this bread- just do a search on my site for “yeast bread”.
Cat says
I love this bread. Once upon a time I baked various types of bread and sold them at the local farmer's market. Since changing to a low carb/Keto lifestyle I have tried every low carb yeast bread recipe out there. This one kicks major butt! I have baked in in a rustic loaf form, in a hamburger pan, in a bowl, in a loaf pan, as dinner rolls, and it never fails. In burger bun form it holds up to a loaded burger, a pulled pork or carnitas sandwich and anything else you might want on a burger bun. The rolls come out light and slightly chewy, the bread is great for sandwiches, toast, French toast or any other use you have for bread. I've also made the ciabatta bread and it is amazing as well. The crumb is great, you get the small air pockets from the yeast, and the taste is amazing! I've occasionally had it fall during baking in a loaf pan or bowl, but that was more my fault than any problem with the recipe, I didn't bake it as it was "on the way up", I let it rise a bit too long before baking. Almond flour breads are a little picky. Unlike bread made with flour, it has to, has to, HAS TO be baked before it has fully proofed or it develops a large air pocket that will collapse half way through baking. In a rustic loaf or as buns and dinner rolls this usually isn't a problem, but in loaf or bowl form it can happen. Happy bread baking and thank you so much for an amazing bread recipe that actually uses yeast for the rise!!!!
★★★★★
EmilyKrill says
Happy bread baking to you too! You might like a lighter loaf I've been making for sandwiches. https://www.resolutioneats.com/blog/low-carb-yeast-leavened-sandwich-bread/
Serena says
This bread turned out so well. I loved the rustic chewy texture!
Dale Olstinske says
I’m getting all the ingredients together to make this. Many other baked recipes I’ve done called for whole Flaxseed finely ground, yours uses whole? Have you found this advantageous?
EmilyKrill says
No, my recipe called for flaxseed meal, which is ground flaxseed.
Stacy Johnston says
Made this to go with an Italian dinner I fixed for my girlfriend. I used to bake a lot of breads before going keto, and this bread measures up along side anything I made back in the day. The only place it shows up as low carb is in the nutritional numbers.
★★★★★
EmilyKrill says
Yay! I'm so glad you guys liked the bread. Having it pass for regular bread is definitely the goal.
I've got a few more versions of this yeast bread dough that you might like too. I make a more traditional white bread-like loaf for sandwiches. https://www.resolutioneats.com/blog/low-carb-yeast-leavened-sandwich-bread/ I also do a rye bread that is really good. https://www.resolutioneats.com/blog/real-low-carb-rye-bread/ And the dough lends itself to making thick chewy pizza crusts. https://www.resolutioneats.com/blog/yeast-dough-pizza-crust/
Thanks again for your nice comment. It's so nice to hear.
Carolyn says
I have some light rye I would like to use up. Would I need to change any of the liquids to compensate? As soon as my light rye is gone, I will definitely try this with dark rye.
EmilyKrill says
Light rye should work fine. When you are first forming your dough into a ball, just make sure that it's moist enough to knead. If it's too dry, then add a little water until it holds together enough to knead.
Nancy says
Really good! I am saved! Love your recipes xx
★★★★★
EmilyKrill says
Bread truly is life saving sometimes. So glad you liked the recipe.
Sarah M says
This bread is amazing! I can’t believe that it’s low carb.
★★★★★
EmilyKrill says
Yay! So glad you liked the bread. I love this recipe too. I make it all the time.