Easy Keto Bread Recipe with Psyllium Husk (UK)
This easy keto bread recipe makes a sliceable loaf from ground almonds, Groovy Keto oat fibre and psyllium husk powder, egg whites and boiling water, with no wheat flour and no yeast. Each slice has 1.8g net carbs. It takes 1 hour 30 minutes plus cooling and slices well for toast and sandwiches.
Looking for a keto bread recipe that actually tastes like bread? This loaf is based on the popular psyllium husk keto bread by Maria Emmerich, published by Diet Doctor as The keto bread: almond flour, psyllium, egg whites, a splash of vinegar and boiling water. It has a crisp golden crust, a soft, chewy crumb and holds together for toast, sandwiches and dunking in soup.
Our twist swaps part of the almond flour for Groovy Keto oat fibre, which gives a lighter, more bread-like crumb and adds fibre. It is baked in a 900g (2lb) tin, so you get proper square slices rather than rolls. An average 40g slice of white bread has about 19.5g carbohydrate; a slice of this keto bread has 1.8g net carbs. Wondering how bread fits into keto at all? See our guide Can you eat bread on keto? To see how almond flour, oat fibre and other low-carb flours compare, read our guide to keto flour.
What we used: Groovy Keto Psyllium Husk Powder to bind the dough and Groovy Keto Oat Fibre to lighten the crumb. Not in the mood for baking? Our ready-made Low Carb Keto Bread has 2.3g carbohydrate per slice. It contains wheat, so it isn't suitable for anyone avoiding gluten. To compare it with a high-protein loaf, read What is protein bread?
Keto bread vs white and wholemeal bread
Ordinary bread is made from wheat flour, so most of its carbohydrate is starch. This loaf uses almonds and fibre instead, so most of its carbohydrate comes as fibre, which UK labels list separately.
| Per slice | Carbohydrate | Sugars | Net carbs |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, average (40g slice) | 19.5g | 1.2g | 19.5g |
| Wholemeal bread, average (40g slice) | 16.8g | 1.1g | 16.8g |
| This keto bread (1 slice) | 1.8g | 0.7g | 1.8g |
White and wholemeal bread figures are from UK CoFID 2021 data (food code 11-1145, "Bread, white, average": 48.7g carbohydrate and 3.0g sugars per 100g; food code 11-981, "Bread, wholemeal, average": 42.0g carbohydrate and 2.8g sugars per 100g) – McCance and Widdowson's composition of foods. On UK labels, fibre is listed separately, so carbohydrate is already net of fibre.
Tips for the best keto bread
- Weigh the psyllium. It's light and fluffy, so spoon measures vary a lot. Too much gives a gummy, purple-tinged loaf; too little and the dough won't hold its shape. Our guide to psyllium husk powder explains how it works in keto baking.
- Use powder, not whole husks. Fine psyllium husk powder makes a smooth dough. Whole husks give a coarse, wet crumb, so grind them first if that's all you have.
- Mix by hand, briefly. Stir just until the dough comes together. Beating it hard with an electric mixer knocks out the air from the baking powder.
- Wet your hands to shape. The dough is sticky. Wet hands, not extra flour, make it easy to shape and smooth.
- Bake it low and long. A lower shelf and a full bake stop the loaf going hollow under the crust or staying damp in the middle. It should sound hollow when tapped underneath.
- Be patient with slicing. Keto bread keeps setting as it cools. Slice it warm and it will look gummy, however long you baked it.
Easy Keto Bread Recipe with Psyllium Husk (UK)
- Prep time15 min
- Bake time1 hr 15 min
- Total time1 hr 30 min, plus cooling
- Makes1 loaf (12 slices)
- Net carbs1.8g per slice
Ingredients
For the loaf
- 200g ground almonds (almond flour)
- 50g Groovy Keto Oat Fibre
- 60g Groovy Keto Psyllium Husk Powder
- 3 tsp (12g) baking powder
- ¾ tsp fine sea salt
- 4 large egg whites (about 140g)
- 2 tbsp (30ml) cider vinegar
- 400ml boiling water
For the top
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
You will also need a 900g (2lb) loaf tin, baking paper, a large bowl, a spatula and a wire rack.
Method
- Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, gas mark 4) and put a shelf in the lower third. Grease a 900g (2lb) loaf tin and line the base and long sides with a strip of baking paper.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Put the ground almonds, oat fibre, psyllium husk powder, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and whisk them together for 30 seconds, so the psyllium is spread evenly and there are no lumps.
- Add the egg whites and vinegar. Add the egg whites and cider vinegar and stir with a spatula until the mixture looks like damp crumbs. It will be dry and patchy at this stage.
- Add the boiling water. Pour in the boiling water and mix with the spatula for about 30 seconds, just until everything comes together. Leave it for 2 minutes: the psyllium and oat fibre soak up the water and the mixture firms into a soft, sticky dough. Don't knead it.
- Shape the loaf. With wet hands, shape the dough into a rough log and press it into the tin, smoothing the top. Brush the top with a little water, scatter over the sesame seeds and press them on lightly. Cut a shallow slash along the length with a wet knife.
- Bake. Bake for 65–75 minutes, until the crust is deep golden and the loaf sounds hollow when you tap it. For a crisp crust all round, lift it out of the tin for the last 10 minutes and bake it directly on the shelf.
- Cool completely. Leave the loaf to cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing. The crumb is still setting as it cools, so a warm loaf will seem damp in the middle. Cut it into 12 slices with a serrated knife.
How to use keto bread
- Toast: it toasts beautifully. Try it with butter, smashed avocado and a poached egg, or with smoked salmon and cream cheese.
- Sandwiches: slice it about 1.5cm thick for cheese and ham, egg mayonnaise or a BLT with crisp lettuce.
- With soup: serve a thick slice with a bowl of soup or stew for dunking.
- A cheeseboard: for a crunchier option alongside it, make a tray of our keto crackers, which use the same psyllium husk powder.
Storage and freezing
- Room temperature: wrap the cooled loaf in a clean tea towel or bread bag and eat it within 2 days.
- Fridge: keep it in a sealed bag in the fridge for up to 5 days. It firms up when cold, so toast the slices.
- Freezer: slice it, put baking paper between the slices and freeze in a freezer bag for up to 1 month. Toast straight from frozen.
Ways to change it
- Bread rolls: divide the dough into 8 balls, shape with wet hands and bake on a lined tray for 45–55 minutes.
- Seeded loaf: stir 30g mixed sunflower and pumpkin seeds into the dry ingredients. The nutrition figures will change.
- Herb and garlic: add 1 tsp dried mixed herbs and ½ tsp garlic granules to the dry ingredients.
- Something sweet? Our keto bread and butter pudding is a lovely way to use up keto bread.
Nutrition
Per serving (1 slice, one twelfth of the loaf):
| Nutrient | Per slice |
|---|---|
| Energy | 130 kcal |
| Fat | 9.6g |
| of which saturates | 0.8g |
| Carbohydrate | 1.8g |
| of which sugars | 0.7g |
| Net carbs | 1.8g |
| Fibre | 10.3g |
| Protein | 5.0g |
| Salt | 0.73g |
There are no polyols in this recipe, so net carbs are the same as the carbohydrate figure. On UK labels, fibre is already listed separately from carbohydrate, so it isn't subtracted again. Figures are calculated from the per-100g values on the Groovy Keto pack labels, UK (McCance and Widdowson's CoFID) data for the ground almonds, egg whites, baking powder, vinegar and salt, and USDA FoodData Central data for the sesame seeds, so they will vary with the brands you use. Each slice is high in fibre, and the psyllium husk pack notes that excessive consumption may cause a laxative effect, so drink plenty of water.
Allergens: this recipe contains nuts (almonds), eggs and sesame. The Groovy Keto psyllium husk powder and oat fibre packs say they are packed in a facility where there may be traces of nuts, cereals, milk and eggs. Oat fibre is made from oats. Some baking powders contain wheat flour, so check the label if you avoid gluten, and always check the current pack labels before baking for anyone with an allergy or coeliac disease.
FAQ
Why does my keto bread turn purple?
Some psyllium husk powders turn the crumb purple or grey-blue during baking. It's a colour change in the husk itself, it varies from brand to brand and batch to batch, and it's often stronger with lots of baking powder. It doesn't change the taste. If it bothers you, try a different batch of psyllium.
Can I make keto bread without almond flour?
Yes, but you need something to replace its bulk and fat. Popular nut-free keto loaves use sunflower seed flour or ground pumpkin seeds instead, at the same weight. Sunflower seed flour can also turn the crumb green. Our keto seed crackers have no nuts in the ingredients, if you'd rather avoid them. The nutrition figures will change.
How many carbs are in a slice of keto bread?
A slice of this keto bread, one twelfth of the loaf, has 1.8g net carbs, 10.3g fibre, 5.0g protein and 130 kcal. An average 40g slice of white bread has about 19.5g carbohydrate. If you'd rather buy a loaf, our ready-made Low Carb Keto Bread has 2.3g carbohydrate per slice.
Why is my keto bread hollow or gummy inside?
The usual causes are measuring the psyllium by the spoon instead of weighing it, too much baking powder, or slicing the loaf before it has cooled. Weigh everything, bake until the loaf sounds hollow, and leave it for at least 2 hours. If it's still damp, toast the slices or return the loaf to the oven for 10 minutes.
How do you store and freeze keto bread?
Keep the loaf wrapped in a clean tea towel or a bread bag at room temperature for up to 2 days, then in the fridge for up to 5 days. To freeze, slice it first and put baking paper between the slices, then freeze for up to 1 month. Toast the slices straight from frozen.
Can I make this keto bread without eggs?
Egg whites help this loaf rise and give it a lighter crumb, so it's best made with them. Some popular egg-free keto breads use extra psyllium and water instead, but the loaf comes out denser and more moist. If you try it, expect a longer bake and let it cool fully. The nutrition figures will change.
