Keto Bread with Yeast

Coconut Flour Keto Bread

Grain-Free, Dairy-Free, Low-Carb, Keto Bread

Developing a keto bread with yeast was quite a challenge. Texture, flavor, rise, moisture-- these were just a few things I had to get "just right".

This recipe is the result of dozens of trials. And over the years I've made slight tweaks and experimented with different ingredients which has caused this blog post to get longer in length. I hope this information serves you well!

Keep reading for important tips so your keto bread turns out well. This is not a flexible recipe and requires close attention to detail. But, don't let that hold you back. It's 100% worth the effort to take a bite of this delectable low carb bread.

Mmmmmmm.....

In the end, I turned to coconut flour because everything I attempted with almond flour turned out too wet. Yeast is another crucial ingredient to get a higher rise that doesn't cave in at the end. Plus, the yeast covers the flavor of the coconut flour.

If you're looking for a keto bread that tastes great and works well for keto-friendly sandwiches, french toast or just to toast with a liberal amount of fresh organic butter--this is a great recipe to use.

The Burning Question...

How Do You Make Healthy and Delicious Keto Bread?

When I set out to make the perfect keto bread, I had no idea what was in store for me. For 15 years, I had been baking loaves of bread using traditional flours. Yet, baking keto bread was a whole different ball-game.

I had already had plenty of experience using coconut flour and almond flour during the creation phase of my Keto Brownies.

The process started with research...

After looking at more than twenty-five different keto bread recipes I started to get a feel for what worked and what might not work. I read through hundreds of comments with feedback on these recipes. Then, I picked a few different “well-rated” keto bread recipes and started baking.

Trial After Trial Fell Flat

If you've ever done this... tried different keto bread recipes out on the internet of things...you may share in my frustrations.

Results from these recipes were very “wet” and had an “off” flavor. Many of them contained psyllium husk powder to which I grew a quick aversion to.

The pictures looked great on the website, but the taste in my mouth was "meh'...

I discovered that I really did not like the flavor that the psyllium husk gave to keto bread.  

In fact... the recipe I made with psyllium husk came out of the oven resembled bread in appearance but not in taste or texture.

For a moment, I wondered if this was even possible. I mean...I didn't see a point to even bothering with keto bread if this was the result.

Is it Possible?

I wanted something that would make a great keto sandwich bread. I also wanted an easy recipe that anyone (including my husband) could make!

As I talked to friends and clients, they shared horror stories of their keto bread attempts. Most told me they had given up on ever eating a good tasting keto bread. But… wouldn't it be nice to have a grilled cheese sandwich again? Or some french toast? All keto friendly of course!

I relish an “impossible” baking challenge. Experimenting in the kitchen is one of my favorite things to do. (My husband and kids also love it because they get to do a lot of sampling!). I was determined to figure out how to make keto bread that is both easy and delicious.

IMPORTANT Things To Know Before You Begin...

There are some critical things you need to know before jumping in...

Before you jump to the recipe, there are some critical things you need to know in order to make your Keto Bread a success.

In fact...

This is true across most of Keto Baking. Substitute at your own risk.

Omitting or changing an ingredient can lead to flat, inedible results.

However, I've given you a few tips and tricks in this section in case some of the ingredients aren't available.

Almond Flour vs. Coconut Flour

My early attempts at keto bread used a mixture of almond flour and coconut flour.

I learned that almond flour doesn't absorb moisture like coconut flour does. I wondered if this was part of my “wet” problem with my previous breads.

Finally, I switched to an 100% coconut flour version with great results.

Coconut flour does absorb moisture and requires more eggs than if I was making a bread with almond flour.

Furthermore, coconut flour is healthier than almond flour. It's lighter and less calorie dense which is something I embraced in this keto bread recipe.

Providing Structure to Keto Bread

Acacia Powder or Psyllium Husk

I used Acacia Fiber to give the bread more structure without imparting the flavor that I don't care for from ground psyllium husks.

Additionally, I used ground flax and xanthan gum to give the bread texture.

The flax also imparts just a touch of a “wheat” flavor to the finished product.

Omitting the flax results in less of a ‘rise' but still yields a delicious loaf of bread.

What About Oat Fiber?

You can use oat fiber to substitute for the acacia fiber and/or flax with success. Over the past few months, I've used oat fiber successfully - so if you have it on hand - use it. I have found that the oat fiber works just as well as the flax to provide a more bread-like taste. In fact, I've come to prefer using it over flax.

You can also use a teaspoon of coffee flour as an additive if you'd like more of a wheaty flavor.

Weigh Your Flours

It's actually easier to weigh than measure!

I STRONGLY recommend weighing your coconut flour and not relying on a measuring cup. Why?

These ingredients aren't cheap and it is incredibly easy to get an incorrect measurement. Incorrect measurements will give you inconsistent results.

Weighing is easy and gives you a reliable finished keto bread.

Actually, the biggest benefit is having less dishes because you put your mixing bowl on the scale, reset it and put your ingredients directly in the bowl!

If you go on Amazon and look at kitchen scales, it's easy to get overwhelmed. I have two kitchen scales. The first one I purchased is an older version of this Pronto Digital Scale.  

Eventually, I upgraded to this Kitchen Scale by My Weigh because I wanted a larger base to weigh on and I just love the cover on it which prevents me from constantly having to try and dig flour out of the display of the smaller one.

Seriously? Yeast in Keto Bread?

How Keto Bread with Yeast was discovered...

After multiple keto bread failures, I spent a month diving into learning the science of keto baking. I ordered a diverse range of keto ingredients to try in my version of keto bread.

You know, I made many keto bread recipes...struggling to find the perfect combination. This was turning out to be a bigger challenge than I had imagined. The texture was right but the bread tasted ‘sweet' as a result of the almond and coconut flours. It just didn't taste like bread to me...

Then, one day as I was chattering at my husband about baking the perfect keto bread… I said “I'd use yeast in a traditional bread” and he said “How come you can't use yeast in keto bread? Is yeast not keto?”. HMMMMMMMM

I hadn't thought about using yeast in a keto bread. Yeast reacts with gluten–and I didn't think it would work in a non-gluten bread.

It turns out that it isn't an ingredient we avoid on a ketogenic diet, so I began experimentation. Maybe this would be the final piece of the puzzle I needed for a delicious keto bread recipe.

How To Use Yeast in Keto Bread

I found very little information about using yeast in a grain-free bread.

Therefore, I started with an experiment. Using “Instant” or “Rapid Rise” yeast worked well. Here's how you do it...

Step #1: Proof Active Dry Yeast with Sugar (or Inulin)

First, we will proof the yeast with warm water and sugar (or inulin). The warm water activates the yeast and the sugar (or inulin) feeds the yeast...

My research had explained that the yeast would feed off of the sugar or inulin.

-Tara

The sugar or inulin is what “feeds” and activates the yeast without the gluten found in wheat flour.

You CAN NOT use a sugar substitute here. You could use inulin or honey if you want to completely avoid real sugar.

However, be assured that the final product does not contain sugar.

We are activating a living yeast by proofing it and feeding it sugar or inulin. The yeast digests the sugar or inulin and creates the rise you see in the bread. Without the sugar or inulin, it can't create the rise.

If you omit the sugar or inulin you will end up with a flat, unappetizing breadish product. So, trust me...and go ahead and feed your yeast.

I mean... we feed our cats pieces of salmon and it doesn't come out the other side as pieces of salmon..... tee hee hee...

Using Instant or Rapid Rise Yeast?

If you're using instant or rapid rise yeast, you can skip the step above and add the yeast and sugar or inulin directly to the bread dough. Instant or rapid rise yeast doesn't require a jump start like active dry yeast does.

Does Inulin Feed Yeast As Well As Sugar?

To figure this out, I did a little experiment to see if inulin would feed active dry yeast as well as sugar. The results were surprising. Inulin fed the yeast as well as or even better than sugar!

So what is inulin?

Inulin is a soluble prebiotic fiber extracted from chicory root. It will feed the friendly bacteria in your gut - causing them to grow and create more friendly bacteria. In fact, many people actually mix it in water and drink it down every day.

Like other prebiotic fibers (including acacia fiber), inulin can help slow digestion and help you feel fuller longer. It can aid in controlling blood sugar levels and support healthy cholesterol levels.

For some people, inulin can cause some gas or discomfort. Like all prebiotic fibers, you want to start slow and build up slowly.

We use it in this recipe because it's safe and feeds the yeast. The vast majority of the inulin you use to feed the yeast will be eaten by the yeast to produce carbon dioxide which helps the bread rise.

Step #2 Proof the Keto Bread Dough

I wanted a beautiful rise in the keto bread. With much trial and error, I discovered the best rise happened by proofing the keto bread dough.

To proof the keto bread dough, you simply place it in warm (100° F - 200° F degree) oven for at least 10 minutes. You can proof your bread up to 60 minutes.

Then, remove it from the oven and cover it in a warm spot in your kitchen. If there are no warm spots in your kitchen, either create one or simply preheat the oven with the bread in it so it doesn't fall due to a cold external environment. I used my microwave because it's a warm environment directly above my oven.

What if I don't have a oven that goes to that low of a temperature?

Any warm environment would. Think outside the box and see if you can figure out a creative way to create a warm proofing area for your keto bread with yeast. You can use your regular oven and heat it for a few minutes. Once it feels nice and toasty inside, turn it off and set your bread dough inside to proof.

Finally, we bake the keto bread in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Ingredients for Coconut Flour Keto Bread With Yeast

• Coconut Flour
• Instant Yeast (Rapid Rise Yeast) or Active Dry Yeast
• Acacia Fiber or Psyllium Husk Powder (not the ground stuff)
• Xanthan Gum
• Ground Flax Seed or Oat Fiber

A few pieces of kitchen gadgetry that will help you out:

• Pyrex Glass Bread Pan
• Electric Kettle
• Stand Mixer by KitchenAid
• Cutco Bread Knife (You can find a used one for less $$!)

Tutorial Video: Keto Coconut Flour Bread with Yeast

Check out my YouTube channel "Tara's Keto Kitchen"! 

I share new videos and recipes every week. Subscribe so you're notified by YouTube when the recipes post.

📖 Recipe

Coconut Flour Keto Bread with Yeast

This coconut flour keto bread recipe turns out a beautiful keto bread that can be used for sandwiches, french toast or plain old toast with a liberal amount of fresh organic butter. Yum.

4.21 from 73 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Keto, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Keto

Keyword: keto bread

Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 20 slices

Author: Tara Wright

Ingredients

• ½ c warm water 75-80 degrees
• 1 packet active dry yeast
• 1 tsp sugar or inulin
• 6 eggs room temp
• ½ c olive oil (¼ cup for a drier bread)
• 1 Tbs Acacia Fiber Powder or Psyllium Husk Powder or Oat Fiber
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• 2 Tbs Ground Flax or Oat Fiber
• ¾ cup coconut flour 96 g

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 100 degrees. (This is your "bread proof" setting if you have one)
  
• Grease a bread pan heavily around the bottom and sides
• For optimal results, your eggs should be at room temperature. If they're in the fridge, place them in a bowl, covering them completely with warm water. (Not too hot or you'll cook the eggs). Allow them to sit for 5-10 minutes to warm up.
• In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, combine: warm water (75-80 degrees), active dry yeast and sugar or inulin (the yeast eats the sugar so the resulting sugar content is negligible)

  If you're using instant yeast or rapid rise yeast you should skip this proofing step. Instead, add the instant yeast to the dry ingredient mixture and the warm water to the egg mixture.
• Let the active dry yeast mixture sit for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, the mixture should be foamy. If it isn't your water temperature could have been too high or your yeast is too old. Repeat the process to ensure you have an active, living yeast before proceeding.
• In a large mixer bowl, combine egg and olive oil and mix on low until combined.
• Mix in coconut flour, acacia fiber, xanthan gum, ground flax, salt and blend on low speed for 3-5 minutes until well combined and thickened. If you have a blender where low speed is aggressive, mix until just combined. Then, allow it to rest and mix by hand.
• Add the foamy yeast to the batter and mix on low speed for one minute.
• Pour the keto bread dough into a greased bread pan. Smaller bread pans will yield a taller loaf. Using a bigger bread pan gets you a loaf in different dimensions.
• Place in a 100 degree oven for 30 minutes to 60 minutes to "proof". If you're using a standard bread pan, the dough will rise to about an inch from the top.
• Remove pan from oven and leave covered in a warm place in your kitchen. Set your oven to 350 degrees. Let bread dough sit covered on the counter for 20 minutes while your oven preheats. Your bread should continue to "rise" and grow in size as the yeast performs it's magic.
• Bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and set on a cooling rack. Allow bread to cool completely (about 2 hours) before removing from the pan and slicing.
• Store your delicious keto bread on the counter for 2-3 days or slice and keep in the freezer for a few weeks.

Notes

Note: You can substitute oat fiber for the ground flax. These days, I prefer this substitution.

If you don't have a "Bread Proof" setting on your oven, preheat your oven until it gets to about 100 degrees and turn it off. Put the keto bread dough in there to warm up.

When you remove the dough from the oven, cover it and place it in a warm spot in your kitchen. Our microwave is above our oven, so I place it in there so that it continues to rise. It's important to keep it warm, otherwise, you'll end up with a result that falls in the middle.

Fresh yeast is also important. Use active dry yeast OR instant/rapid rise yeast (just check the instructions for how to treat them differently)  and make sure you feed it with the sugar or inulin. The yeast will eat the sugar/inulin, so don't worry about adding any carbs to the end result. You can also use honey or inulin in place of sugar.

Nutrition

Calories: 94kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 33mg | Potassium: 26mg | Fiber: 2g | Vitamin A: 70IU | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.5mg

Can I Make Keto Bread With Yeast In A Bread Machine?

As a matter of fact, you can! We've had great results using the Basic setting on our Sunbeam bread maker. If you have a newer model that has a gluten free setting, try that setting first.

Here's a few notes about making this in your bread maker:

If you use instant or rapid rise yeast:

• Place warm water (between 105-110 degrees) in the bread maker pan first. Then room temperature eggs.
• Next, combine dry ingredients (including inulin or sugar) in a bowl and mix together. Add this mixture to the liquid ingredients in the bread maker bowl.
• Finally, pour the instant or rapid-rise yeast on top.
• Start your bread maker on Basic or Gluten-Free Setting and let it go to work.
• DO NOT let it run the full bake cycle or your bread will be overcooked. Your bread is done once the edges are golden brown. 25-30 minutes into the baking cycle.
• Tip: The first time you do this, watch through the mixing phase. You may need to help it a bit with a spatula to get all the good bits mixed in. Each bread maker is different and you'll just have to learn yours.

If you use acitve dry yeast:

• Heat some water just a little hotter than you'd like it to activate your yeast. Or rinse out your breadmaker pan with hot water so it doesn't drop the water temp because it's so cold.
• Place warm water (between 105-110 degrees) in the bread maker pan first and mix in sugar or inulin. Then, mix in the yeast and allow this mixture to sit and "proof" while you proceed.
• Crack your eggs, making sure they're at room temperature and whisk until nice and combined.
• In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients and mix together.
• Now, check to make sure your yeast mixture is foamy and feeding on the inulin. If the yeast isn't foamy, it wasn't activated and you'll want to dump out this yeast mixture and start again.
• Start your bread maker on Basic or Gluten-Free Setting and let it go to work.
• DO NOT let it run the full bake cycle or your bread will be overcooked. Your bread is done once the edges are golden brown. 25-30 minutes into the baking cycle.
• Tip: The first time you do this, watch through the mixing phase. You may need to help it a bit with a spatula to get all the good bits mixed in. Each bread maker is different and you'll just have to learn yours.

Coffee Flour For A Brown Bread

In 2020, I began experimenting with coffee flour. To get a dark brown bread with a flavor similar to a rye bread, add in a tablespoon of coffee flour. For a lightly "wheaty" flavor, simply add in a teaspoon of coffee flour.

Other Keto Bread Recipes

Here's a few of my favorite bread recipes on the site. To find more, just use the search functionality and search for "bread" at the top of the site.

If you're looking for a bread option that doesn't use coconut flour or yeast, check out my recipe for keto bread that provides a hearty, crusty loaf:

Keto Bread "The Only Low Carb Bread Recipe You'll Ever Need"

This crusty keto bread recipe will make a loaf of low carb bread, rolls, drop rolls or even pizza crust.

Check out this recipe

These garlic cheddar biscuits work great as a side-dish or for sandwiches.

Keto Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

These amazing keto biscuits are packed with garlic and cheddar goodness. Serve them hot, cold or slice them in half, melt a little cheese and enjoy some keto garlic bread!

Check out this recipe

Finally, this poppyseed bread recipe gives you a sweet twist on a low carb bread option.

Keto Poppyseed Bread

I created this delicious keto poppyseed bread by accident while working on another recipe. As I tasted the recipe I thought "This tastes exactly like our favorite poppyseed bread". I hope you'll love it as much as we do.

Check out this recipe