Of late I have been having a lot of inflammatory and pain issues. Nuts and nightshades being the main culprits. It is always better if they are soaked & dried (nuts) or fermented (both). The Dr. Bergs won me over with their cauliflower pizza crust… and after being on the Kauffman diet for 9 months I was ecstatic to be able to try something with mozzarella. It did not disappoint and neither did their bread recipe, though I did have to do some troubleshooting at first. One of the things I miss most on keto is sourdough bread, so I did some substitutions and used milk kefir to culture or “sour” the loaf.
Give it a go and let me know what you think! Enjoy!
Cultured “Sourdough” Keto Bread
(Adapted from Dr Berg’s Healthiest Bread in the World)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 cup arrowroot flour
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 tbsp very finely ground chia seed
- 2 tbsp organic psyllium husk powder
- ¼ cup filtered water (+ 2 Tbsp = 1/3 cup)
- 1 cup milk kefir (can be done with coconut kefir to make it vegan)
- 2 tsp coconut sugar or maple syrup (sugars are consumed by the yeast)
- 1 egg (optional)
Method:
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, arrowroot flour, coconut flour, and sea salt.
2. Place yeast and maple syrup or coconut sugar in 1/4 cup of warm water. Not too hot or it will kill the yeast. Let it sit for 10 minutes until it foams if using maple syrup (12-15 for coconut sugar).
3. Stir the finely ground chia and psyllium husk into the yeast mixture and add 1 cup milk kefir. Let it stand for 1 minute to thicken, then whisk.
4. Pour thickened yeast-chia mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until thick and fully combined. The dough will be slightly sticky, but workable. Knead for 1 minute.
5. Put kneaded dough back into the bowl. Cover with a damp cloth and place in a warm spot to rise for one hour OR leave for 8-12 hours (overnight works) to “sourdough”. I left mine for 18 hours.
6. Preheat the oven to 425 °F. Place a pizza stone, cast iron pan, or baking sheet in oven to preheat. If using a baking sheet I recommend putting a silicone mat or parchment down. It won’t stick to properly preheated cast iron or pizza stone.
7. You can divide the dough or leave it as a round (boule). Shape the boule with your hands and wet them if necesssary to bring it together. Brush with egg wash or if desired or spray with avocado oil. Use a serrated knife to score (cut) the top so the bread separates where you want.
8. Place the dough onto the preheated stone or cooking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Individual ovens and baking times vary. (My big oven takes 30 while my Breville Oven Air takes 35 minutes with this loaf) I prefer the tap test. When you can turn it over and tap it and it sounds like a hollow door with browning on the bottom, it’s done.
9. Let it cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes. When it has cooled you can slice and serve or store it wrapped in a tea towel in an airtight container or bread bag. If you cut into it too soon you can have goop rather than bread. I enjoy this as fresh bread with grass fed butter and Vegemite but it performs best toasted or grilled.
Cultured Sourdough Keto Bread
Equipment
- Bowl
- oven
- Cast Iron Pan or Pizza Stone
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 cup arrowroot flour
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 tbsp very finely ground chia seed
- 2 tbsp organic psyllium husk powder
- ¼ cup filtered water + 2 Tbsp = 1/3 cup
- 1 cup milk kefir can be done with coconut kefir to make it vegan
- 2 tsp coconut sugar or maple syrup sugars are consumed by the yeast
- 1 egg optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, arrowroot flour, coconut flour, and sea salt.
- Place yeast and maple syrup or coconut sugar in 1/4 cup of warm water. Not too hot or it will kill the yeast. Let it sit for 10 minutes until it foams if using maple syrup (12-15 for coconut sugar).
- Stir the finely ground chia and psyllium husk into the yeast mixture and add 1 cup milk kefir. Let it stand for 1 minute to thicken, then whisk.
- Pour thickened yeast-chia mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until thick and fully combined. The dough will be slightly sticky, but workable. Knead for 1 minute.
- Put kneaded dough back into the bowl. Cover with a damp cloth and place in a warm spot to rise for one hour OR leave for 8-12 hours (overnight works) to “sourdough”. I left mine for 18 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 425 °F. Place a pizza stone, cast iron pan, or baking sheet in oven to preheat. If using a baking sheet I recommend putting a silicone mat or parchment down. It won’t stick to properly preheated cast iron or pizza stone.
- You can divide the dough or leave it as a round (boule). Shape the boule with your hands and wet them if necesssary to bring it together. Brush with egg wash or if desired or spray with avocado oil. Use a serrated knife to score (cut) the top so the bread separates where you want.
- Place the dough onto the preheated stone or cooking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Individual ovens and baking times vary. (My big oven takes 30 while my Breville Oven Air takes 35 minutes with this loaf) I prefer the tap test. When you can turn it over and tap it and it sounds like a hollow door with browning on the bottom, it’s done.
- Let it cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes. When it has cooled you can slice and serve or store it wrapped in a tea towel in an airtight container or bread bag. If you cut into it too soon you can have goop rather than bread. I enjoy this as fresh bread with grass fed butter and Vegemite but it performs best toasted or grilled.
