This Keto focaccia bread is wonderfully airy, soft and chewy, just like a good focaccia should be. The easy recipe uses yeast, which gives it a fluffy texture and a great rise. A grain free, gluten free bread with only 2.2g net carbs per square.
I am crazy about bread.
Over the years, I've been posting lots of bread recipes - don't miss this almond flour bread or my everyday low carb bread. I've even written a Keto bread cookbook.
But this recipe... is special. It's so delicious!
It would have been easy to make a low carb focaccia with fathead dough. You could simply bake my keto garlic bread in a rectangular pan and add rosemary sprigs and salt.
But I wanted to create a proper bread recipe with yeast, using low carb flours and not mozzarella cheese.
I'm so pleased with this gluten-free focaccia! The protein powder makes it extra white and fluffy in texture. And the yeast, olive oil and rosemary give it the distinctive "real Italian" focaccia flavor.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients I am using:
- Active dry yeast
- Inulin - A prebiotic fibre which has about 30% percent of the sweetness of sugar. We need it to activate the yeast.
- Almond flour - I am using ground almonds. This is the same as regular almond flour in the US. If you're using super-fine almond flour, you may want to reduce the amount by about 1 tablespoon.
- Whey protein powder - For a fine, wheat-like texture
- Egg - One entire egg and two additional egg whites
- Water - must be warm
- Baking Powder
- Xanthan gum - for a stronger crumb structure
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Rosemary sprigs and sea salt
Instructions
(This section contains step by step instructions and photos that show how to make this recipe. Find the recipe card with ingredient amounts and nutritional information at the bottom of the post.)
Step 1: Proof the yeast by adding it to the warm water with the inulin. It needs to froth and bubble.
Step 2: Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.
Step 3: Beat the eggs until frothy in a large mixing bowl.
Step 4: Add the extra-virgin olive oil, yeast mixture and the flour mix to the eggs and continue mixing until well-combined. A sticky dough will form.
Step 5: Put the dough in a baking dish lined with parchment paper. Make indentations in the dough with your fingers and top with fresh rosemary and sea salt. Cover with a tea towel and let the dough rise.
Step 6: Bake the focaccia until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow the bread to cool fully before slicing.
Top tips
If you follow these tips, the bread will rise like a dream and you'll end up with a wonderfully fluffy texture.
Use a digital food scale. It's more accurate than measuring cups and will yield a better bread. Also, all tablespoons and teaspoons need to be level and not heaped.
Proof the yeast. Yeast likes a water temperature of 40 C / 105F (think bath water). Too hot, and the yeast cannot activate, too cold and it will die. If the yeast does not form a generous amount of froth, discard it and start again.
Room temperature eggs. If you mix cold eggs into the yeast, you just won't get a good rise. To warm up fridge eggs, put them in hot water for 3 minutes.
Where to let the dough rise: It needs a warm place - the top of a radiator, an airing cupboard or the oven on the lowest setting. Always cover it with an oiled piece of clingfilm and top it with a tea towel.
How to serve
Serve keto focaccia...
- alongside a platter with roasted vegetables and cured ham
- in a bread basket, with a bowl of olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping
- as a panini, filled with parma ham, provolone cheese, tomato, lettuce and avocado
- with a soup, such as keto mushroom soup or keto vegetable soup.
FAQ
No. You can taste the almond flour. But apart from that, it has a similar chewy consistency and all the other flavors we like about focaccia - the yeast, the rosemary, olive oil and salt.
Use honey or even sugar instead. Don't worry - no sugar will remain post bake. The yeast "feeds" on it. You cannot substitute the inulin with either erythritol or xylitol.
Yes. You can add Kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes or grate parmesan cheese over the bread before baking.
Yes. Replace the whey protein powder with either egg white protein powder or with 2 tablespoon psyllium husk (or 1 tablespoon psyllium husk powder). I used psyllium in my first attempt at this recipe. The result is a little firmer, but also very good.
No, that would not work. A better nut-free substitute may be a mix of sesame seed and sunflower seed flour, which could be used as a 1:1 substitution to almond flour.
Storage
Store it in a bread tin either at room temperature or in the fridge. It's fine for about 5 days.
Alternatively, freeze the bread for up to 3 months. If you slice it before freezing, you can toast it straight from the freezer!
Related recipes
Here are more keto bread recipes and cakes with yeast or with a yeast option:
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Recipe
Gluten Free Keto Focaccia Bread
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary. ***As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Equipment
- 25 x 15 cm casserole dish
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoon inulin or honey/sugar** see recipe notes
- 1 ½ cup / 150g almond flour
- 4 tbsp / 20g whey protein powder unflavoured
- 1 egg
- 2 egg whites
- ⅓ cup / 80 ml warm water
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Topping
- Rosemary sprigs
- Sea salt flakes
Instructions
- Proof your yeast by adding it to the warm water (40C/105F) together with the inulin. Cover and put in a warm place for around 7 minutes to ensure it starts to bubble.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl – almond flour, unflavoured whey protein powder, baking powder, xanthan gum and set aside.
- Beat the egg and the two additional egg whites in a food processor or in a bowl with an electric mixer until frothy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the olive oil, water/yeast mix and the flour mix to the eggs and continue mixing until well-combined. A sticky dough will form.
- Line a 25 x 15 cm casserole dish with parchment paper. Dip a spatula in water to prevent sticking and spread the dough evenly. Make indentations in the dough with your fingers and spread fresh rosemary and sea salt over the dough.
- Cover with a tea towel and rest in a warm place (on a radiator, for example, or in the oven on the lowest setting) for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the dough has fluffed up and increased in size noticeably.
- Preheat the oven to 180 Celsius / 350 Fahrenheit and bake for 25 minutes. After 10 minutes place an aluminium foil lightly on top of the dish to avoid excessive browning.
- Allow to cool before slicing as the texture will improve. Toast if you wish, and enjoy with a drizzle of olive oil.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Stacey
This recipe looks amazing. My only question is it doesn't look like I can get the inulin in the US. Is there another brand you would recommend? I'm new at learning how to eat healthier low carb meals. And there seems to be alot on the market but want to make sure I'm getting the cleanest form.
Katrin Nürnberger
I don't know of any particular brand in the US. But you can use any chicory based inulin brand.
Leslie
Looks terrific! I cannot wait to try. I normally use instant yeast which does not need proofing. Can I use it for this and leave out the inulin/sugar?
Katrin Nürnberger
I'm sure you can use instant yeast but you'll still need to use inulin or sugar because it's needed to activate the yeast since we're not using wheat.
Addie
I looked at this recipe to find out how you use the yeast, but then I decided to try the focaccia itself because it looks so good! Can you tell me how much honey/sugar to use when substituting for inulin?
Katrin Nürnberger
I would use the same amount.
Catiuscia
OMG! Just tasted it, it's truly amazing! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Katrin Nürnberger
So glad you like it!
Pam
Hello Katrin, I am now to your website. I am currently on a low card diet and have been cravings for bread.
The focaccia looks really delicious, and I want to make it for valentines day! If I can't get hold of whey protein, what can I use instead (milk powder)?
Thank you.
Katrin Nürnberger
Hi Pam, whey and milk powder is not the same. You can get whey in any health food store and even in large supermarkets.
Solange
I made this focaccia twice already, it's so soft and tasty, my, daughter loves it, she's 11 and she eats mostly low carb, but being 11 she's also very honest, if she gives the thumbs up then the recipe is truly good! Thumbs up for you and you focaccia.
Katrin Nürnberger
I feel honoured. I know all about critical kids!
Amanda Poppleton
Hi Katrin
Could you tell me what brand of casserole dish you used for this recipe. I’ve made it twice now and it’s delicious but my tin is way too big!
Thanks
Amanda
Katrin Nürnberger
I used a 25 x 15 cm casserole dish 🙂
Amanda Poppleton
I can’t find a casserole dish which is exactly those dimensions. Could I ask is it Pyrex or another brand?
I want to get this perfect as it is so tasty!!
Thanks
Katrin Nürnberger
It's an Ikea casserole 🙂
Kelly
Thank you for the recipes you share. I was so excited to get your bread book this week and looking forward to baking this weekend! Would you have any general rules of thumb for trying to substitute for eggs? I try to avoid eggs and I can tell some of the recipes probably won't work well without them. But wondering if you have any recommendations for experimenting? Whey or plant protein powder? Thank you in advance if so.
Katrin Nürnberger
I think substituting eggs in this particular recipe may be tricky. You need something to hold the dough together. Normally, that could be flax or psyllium husk plus xanthan gum, plus you can try bumping up the baking powder or add apple cider vinegar for more rise. I would try the egg free sourdough in the book and start experimenting with that recipe, giving it a focaccia taste by adding rosemary etc. You will always lose a bit of that fluffiness that eggs give.
FRANCISCO X. PEREZ
I told Katrin that this recipe was the Bomb!!! It'd so easy It came out Great. I didn't have almond milk so I cheated and used heavy whipping cream .
I'll be making this one again.
Katrin Nürnberger
Thanks for letting us know your tweaks! So glad you like the focaccia 🙂
Sue
Katrin...I really like the simplicity and the taste of the recipes you offer
Do you offer a keto meal plan? And Thank you for making me miss bread less. Sue
Katrin Nürnberger
Hi Sue, a meal plan is on my to do list. Join my email list and I'll let you know when it's ready! 🙂
Jean
This looks awesome! Finally, a foccacia bread that looks like focaccia! My question though can I use instant yeast? Active dry yeast is very hard to find in our shops here.
Thanks in advance!
Katrin Nürnberger
Hi Jean, I have not used instant yeast so I'm not sure how it works. My understanding is that it must be stronger because it's instant? Maybe it'll reduce the rising time... I think give it a try and see.
Elaine
You've managed to do it yet again! This bread is amazing! Definitely a keeper. Thanks for all your great recipes.
Katrin Nürnberger
That's so good to hear! So glad you like the bread 🙂
Deborah
Be still my heart....OMG. This looks fabulous, and if its half as good as your other breads I have made, I will be in heaven.
Plan to be making spaghetti (a la zucchini noodles) and meatballs this week....this will put dinner over the top. You have such a gift for low carb breads....the kind of gift that "keeps on giving".
Thank you so much for all your hard work. Yum!
Katrin Nürnberger
Can't wait to hear how you'll like it Deborah!
Sarah
Although I have made many of your recipes, this was the first time I have made bread...... and it was amazing! Thank you so much for the work you put into creating these recipes!
Genet E Harris
What brand of egg protein do you use ?
Denise
Any substitute for whey protein? Coconut flour? Flax meal?
Katrin Nürnberger
You can replace the whey protein powder with either egg white protein powder or with 2 tbsp psyllium husk (or 1 tbsp psyllium husk powder). I used psyllium in my first attempt at this recipe. The result is a little firmer, but also very good!
JO
Been waiting for a good focaccia recipe. This looks incredible Katrin!
Katrin Nürnberger
Thank you so much!