This homemade flaxseed bread has a soft, fluffy texture and a crunchy crust. It toasts well and is perfect for sandwiches. One slice of this high fiber, gluten-free bread contains just 1.3g net carbs.
I am so excited to share with you this new flax bread recipe. It is gluten-free, grain-free, paleo, sugar-free, low carb, keto friendly, dairy-free, egg-free and yeast free.
And it tastes delicious! It reminds me of the dark farmer's loaves I grew up with in my home country Germany.
I often use ground flaxseed as an ingredient in bread recipes, because it adds fiber and helps with a stronger bread texture. My keto flaxseed bread contains a fair amount of flax, as does this keto Irish soda bread.
But, this is the first time I am publishing a bread that has flaxseed (also called linseed) as the main ingredient.
I made this bread 4 times before publishing this post to make sure the recipe is bulletproof. This means I now have the privilege of working my way through 4 loaves of wonderfully rustic bread. I can't wait for you to take yours out of the oven!
Reader Reviews
"This bread needs six stars. Nice and soft and taste like a whole grain gluten type bread. Made twice in one day, it was so good!" (Susan)
"I used hemp seeds in place of the sunflower seeds, but otherwise followed the recipe as is. Came out wonderful! Very flavorful, with a dense, chewy crumb - and so quick and easy to prepare." (Emilye)
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Simple and quick. My flax bread requires only 4 main ingredients. Plus, I've added a few extras that improve the flavor (flax all on its own is not the best tasting). The dough comes together with just a spoon and minimal kneading. The total prep time is only 10 minutes!
Versatile. The bread tastes great toasted and it works with sweet and savoury toppings. It also freezes well. Enjoy it for breakfast, as a sandwich or alongside soups or salads. It is filling and very satisfying.
Ingredients
- Flaxseed - I used whole golden flaxseed. Measure or weigh it whole, then blend it into a fine powder in a high-speed blender. Brown flaxseed also works, but it has a stronger taste and the bread will be darker. I prefer the flavor of golden flaxseed.
- Sunflower Seeds - Complements the flavor of flax.
- Psyllium Husk - The psyllium husk powder makes the bread soft and light. If you only have whole psyllium husks, grind these to a powder after the flaxseed and measure them after grinding.
- Baking Powder and apple cider vinegar - These are the raising agents we use for fluffy flax bread.
- Oil - You can use either toasted sesame oil or extra virgin olive oil. Both lend flavor and improve the texture.
- Seasoning - I used both sea salt and cracked black pepper in the dough. I think they are essential for a good flavor.
- Water - The water must be warm for the recipe to work.
Why To Grind Your Own Flax Meal
Milling your own flax meal at home from whole flaxseeds has two benefits:
Firstly, this guarantees the flax meal is fresh. Milled flax oxidises quickly and goes rancid if stored at room temperature. This causes an unpleasant fishy, bitter flavor.
Secondly, you can grind the flax to a very fine powder. This is essential for a fluffy bread texture and the success of this recipe.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Instructions
It's really easy to make flaxseed bread at home. Here are the basic steps.
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions, ingredient amounts and nutrition data.
STEP 1
Blend the flaxseeds to a fine flour in a high-speed blender.
STEP 2
Put the flaxseed meal into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the psyllium husk powder, sunflower seeds, baking powder, salt and pepper.
STEP 3
Pour in the apple cider vinegar, oil and warm water and stir with a spoon to combine. Then, knead with your hands for a few seconds until a smooth dough forms.
STEP 4
Let the dough rest for a couple of minutes to allow the flaxseed to expand. Then, fill it into the prepared loaf pan and smooth with a spatula. Top with seeds.
STEP 5
Bake the bread in the preheated oven on the middle shelf until golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Then, turn off the heat and leave the bread in the oven for a further 10 minutes.
Let the bread cool fully before cutting. I like to make it the night before and leave out to cool overnight.
Tips For Perfect Flaxseed Bread
Many people shy away from baking bread because they think it is difficult. It is not! Follow my tips and this flaxseed bread recipe is going to be a great success.
A non-stick loaf pan. I used an 8 x 4 inch non-stick loaf pan which I oiled very well before adding the dough. This way, it was not necessary to line the pan with parchment paper and it gave the bread a lovely crust. If your pan does not have a non-stick coating, it may be safer to use parchment paper.
Fresh baking powder. This may sound obvious, but it is essential. Check that your baking powder is not out of date. You can test for freshness by putting a little in water. It should fizz.
Measure with kitchen scales. Weighing ingredients with digital scales is much more accurate than using cups and spoons. I recommend using scales in all bread recipes, this one included.
Patience. This bread needs to be baked a little longer than other breads and has to cool FULLY before you can slice it. The additional drying time with the oven turned off (and the oven door shut) is essential to help it dry. Then, let it cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack.
Let it rest. If possible, let the bread sit for several hours untouched. I left mine out overnight and covered it with kitchen paper. This further improves the texture, making it soft and fluffy inside.
Variations
#1 You could replace the sunflower seeds with pumpkin seeds.
#2 Or, omit the seeds altogether. I have not tried this yet, but if you prefer not to use any seeds, add one additional tablespoon of ground flaxseed to the dough.
#3 As mentioned above, option to use brown flaxseed for an even darker, more rustic bread.
#4 It is also possible to form a round loaf with the dough or make 6 flaxseed rolls. For bread rolls, the baking time in the oven should reduce slightly.
Flaxseed Bread Rolls - Reader Image
My reader Nick made rolls from the recipe and sent me this image:
He asked me quite a few questions and together, we figured out what he had to do to get the texture of the bread just right. This is what he wrote:
"Success at last. With the mill attachment you suggested I got a flax seed grind as fine as yours. I made rolls, which took 1 hour 20 minutes at 150C fan. The fine grind improved the texture and made the taste sweeter. It's great bread, by any standard. I don't feel as if I'm giving up grains or sugar." (Nick)
I thought it was interesting that Nick baked the rolls longer than I had to bake my bread loaf.
But, this goes to show that ovens can differ and that it is ALWAYS worth persevering and giving a recipe a second try, tweaking to suit YOUR ingredients, YOUR equipment and YOUR palate.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, but I do recommend that you re-grind it at home so it is fine enough. Otherwise, the ratios may be different. Also, always store ground flaxseed in the freezer once the pack is open to help it stay fresh for longer.
No. Sprouted flaxseed is different to regular flaxseed and the wet/dry ratios would have to change.
In most recipes, ground flaxseed is an acceptable replacement for psyllium husk. However, I don't recommend it in this recipe. This would completely change the texture. It would make the bread dense and not fluffy at all.
Some psyllium husk brands can turn purple when baked. This does not affect the taste. I have used BonPom, Just Natural and Green Origins without issue. The NOW brand is also supposed to be fine.
It is essential that the bread is baked for long enough (test it with a skewer) and that the additional drying time and resting time are followed as per recipe instructions. Also, mill the flax yourself so it is super fine and measure the ingredients with scales.
Recipe Note: The photos in this post are from my first attempt at the recipe. I then tweaked the ingredient amount and the dip in the middle lessened. Using less water prevented it, but it made the texture dense (which I did not like).
Serving Suggestion
This bread tastes great toasted. Often, I simply eat it with a little butter and a sprinkle of salt.
Breakfast: spread it with blended cottage cheese and top it with sliced tomatoes and chopped chives. Or, enjoy it with sugar free strawberry jam.
Lunch or Dinner: Flax bread is perfect as a sandwich bread. My go-to fillings include sliced avocado, lettuce, mozzarella and tomato or keto egg salad.
It is also a filling side for hearty soups.
Storage
Store the bread in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or, pre-slice and freeze it for up to 3 months.
I layer parchment paper between slices so they don't stick together. Then, I toast a slice straight from frozen.
More Flaxseed Recipes
- Flaxseed Wraps (4 Ingredients!)8 Minutes
- Flaxseed Muffins30 Minutes
- Flaxseed Crackers30 Minutes
- Easy Sesame Flaxseed Crackers25 Minutes
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Recipe
Flaxseed Bread
Equipment
- 8 x 4 inch rectangular loaf pan
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups golden flaxseeds whole, 290g + ½ tablespoon for the top, see recipe notes **
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds 36g+ ½ tablespoon for the top
- 4 tablespoon psyllium husk powder 35g
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon flaked sea salt
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil or olive oil
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1.5 cup warm water 354ml
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 340F / 170C (or 150C fan) and oil a nonstick loaf pan well.
- Add the flaxseeds to a blender and blend until finely milled. Transfer the flaxseed meal to a mixing bowl and add the sunflower seeds, psyllium husk powder, baking powder, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Pour in the apple cider vinegar, oil and warm water. Mix with the dough blade of a hand or stand mixer or use a spoon, kneading it with your hands for a few seconds until fully combined and doughy. Don't over blend as this will make the dough heavier.
- Allow to stand for a couple of minutes. Then, transfer the dough to your prepared loaf pan and flatten it with a spatula. Top with sunflower and flax seeds.
- Place the bread on the middle shelf in the oven and bake for 1 hour 5 minutes or until golden. Test with a skewer that the middle is baked and no crumbs are sticking. ***see recipe notes
- Turn off the heat and leave the bread in the oven for a further 10 minutes. Do not open the door until the additional 10 minutes are up. This will prevent the bread from deflating.
- Allow to cool in the pan for 5 - 10 minutes. Then, transfer it to a wire rack to cool fully completely before slicing. This is essential for it to dry out. My recommendation is to make it the night before and leave it to cool overnight, covering it with kitchen paper.
Patrick
Your recipe is great, I copied it down. I’m a 78 yrs. old male, subscribe to Dr. Gundry's health protocol and I’m kind of a nut for eating just lectin free foods, of which flax seed is. I always eat it in the morning along with blanched almond butter, almonds with the skin on, have lectins. I’ve been buying 4 loaves at a time from Amazon, the Yez Artisan Golden Flax brand but, you’ve encouraged me to bake my own.
Patrick
Katrin Nürnberger
Glad that you are enjoying the bread!
Sally Jacobson
Love this bread! I have a kidney issue; can I make this without or with low salt?
Katrin Nürnberger
Of course!
Jen
Hi, really looking forward to making this bread. I was wondering if you can add in more seeds and nuts and in what proportions.
Katrin Nürnberger
I always recommend to make baking recipes exactly as written, at least the first time around. Then, start tweaking to your heart's content. Also, since this recipe is an egg free recipe, it may not be the best for the addition of plenty of seeds. This would make it less fluffy.
If you are looking for a recipe with lots of seeds and you don't mind eggs, I can recommend this paleo seeded bread.
William
Question: When you have tested the temperature (which is my case means opening the oven door) if it is up to temperature do you close the oven door and run the oven for a couple of minutes (so it can get up to temperature) before turning if off, or do you turn it off straight away, given what you say about not opening the oven door... ?
BTW thanks for all your great recipes.
Katrin Nürnberger
I just turned it off straight away after determining that it was fine. But, an additional 2 minutes with the oven on would not harm either. I guess it all depends on how long you leave that oven door open!
Yvonne
I’ve tried a few different recipes since developing an intolerance to gluten and this is by far best. It’s so easy to make and it’s delicious. Thank you!
Dinah Danby
I went looking for psyllium husk powder; I found one with 13g carbs and 6g fiber, for 2 rounded teaspoons. Seems high. This was Equate psyllium husk powder. Can you suggest where I can find low-carb powder? Thanks!
Katrin Nürnberger
Psyllium husk powder is made with just psyllium husks, so the nutrition should be pretty much the same for all of them as they are 1 ingredient. I have used BonPom, Green Origin and Just Natural. I also hear that the NOW brand is popular.
Kim
Hi, i made your flax crackers a couple of times now (Have a new batch in the oven as we speak 🙂 )
And would love to make this next, would it be possible to make this focaccia style? with dimples and toppings of olive oil etc?
Speak soon!
Kim
Katrin Nürnberger
Hi Kim, you can definitely bake this in the shape of a focaccia. The baking time will reduce because you are spreading the dough over a larger surface. Perhaps 40 minutes will be enough (this is just a guess, you'll have to check and see for yourself). What I would say though is that the dough does not rise much, so you may not get the fluffy puffiness in between the dimples. But, adding olive oil and rosemary sprigs will certainly add delicious flavour.
Toni
This bread is so delicious, especially toasted, sweet and savory toppings just elevate the taste delight.
Very filling also. I toasted 2 slices and that filled me up.
Katrin Nürnberger
So happy that you enjoyed the flax bread!
Tristan Reddell
Thank you! This has totally satisfied my cravings for bread. I’ve found the secret to making sure this bread cooks fully is to bake it on a lower rack in the oven, & to use an instant read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the bread! It should be 96-98*C to ensure it’s fully cooked.
Katrin Nürnberger
Hi Stephanie, it sounds like your wet/dry ratio is off. This could be either because you did not weigh accurately, or because the ingredients were not milled finely enough. Did you use golden flax and mill it again at home? Did you use powdered psyllium husk and not whole psyllium husk (which looks powdered at first glance, but has the texture of tiny sticks as opposed to a fine powder like wheat)?