Flat Bread (Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Grain Free)

This versatile side dish is worthy of eating on its own, as the base to scoop up your favorite gravy or jam, to make a sandwich, or any other naan-bread like use you can think of! It can be made unleavened without sacrificing its texture or flavor, simply by leaving out the “baking powder” or using a baking powder replacement. There are a number of tested options for oil too–ranging from coconut oil, ghee, olive oil, melted butter, or even a veggie or fruit puree. All work well! Give it a try.

YIELD: 6 Flatbread pieces per batch
This recipe takes some time to make, but is worth it. Even if you plan on making more than 6 flatbread pieces, make them one batch of dough at a time.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2/3 Cup Coconut Flour (I used HEB Organics)
• 2 TBS psyllium husk powder
• Optional: 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 2 TBS Olive Oil (or use one of the following instead of the olive oil: Ghee, coconut oil, melted butter or a puree)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• About 1 Cup Boiling Water

METHOD:

this recipe, once the dough is formed and rested, is very much like making “pancakes” –> you will be cooking the dough rolled or patted as thinly as you desire until it is cooked, then flipping it and cooking it on the other side too

1. Begin by assembling your ingredients.
2. Mix together the dry ingredients first.
3. Mix in the oil to incorporate, then slowly add the boiling water. Depending on the brand, and freshness of your coconut flour this may take more or less than 1 cup of water to form the dough. Mix until  dough forms. (The texture is very much like “mashed potatoes”)
4. Allow the dough to rest 10 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. The dough needs this resting period to hold together, since it is not made with gluten.
5. Divide the dough evenly into 6 dough balls.
6. Roll the dough balls out, one at time, or pat with your hands, depending on the desired thickness.
7. Cook the bread, dry style, in a heated cast iron pan or griddle. Allow the first side to fully cook, before flipping to cook the second side.
   
   OPTIONAL: Have melted butter (or other oil) available if desired to which you can add garlic, parsley, or other spices. Brush surface of bread with this herb oil (or serve with dipping sauce) after it is finished cooking and just before serving.

TIPS:
– Other toppings include the option to have no topping, just enjoy the bread as it is, cinnamon stevia, green onions, jam, preservatives, lunch meat, cheese spread, fish spread (such as tuna or salmon salad), parsley, garlic salt, sesame seeds (with or without the oil being toasted sesame oil) or just about any other topping you can think of.
– NOTE: This bread gets more and more MOIST after the first day. It works best to make a batch and use it up, rather than having it sit around too long.
– Depending on the thickness, you can roll this as thin as a tortilla, although those are hard to turn, or patting them to a thickness like old-fashioned potato pancakes and they taste a bit like them, texture wise, too. The potato cake, or veggie nuggets, style makes a nice side dish.

Another recipe I’m going to try too, which is similar but uses a few different ingredients is: https://myheartbeets.com/coconut-flour-naan/

Keto “Rye Bread” (Bread Machine)

Tried a bread machine recipe that is lower carb. What is great about this recipe is how it smells wts baking, that ability to “fill” the entire house with that wonderful fragrance, the chewy crust factor, and having “real” bread. However, having said that, it is also likely not worth getting a bread machine, if you’ve not got one already. Too pricey (and bulky).

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 C warm water
• 1 TBS yeast
• 2 TBS caraway seeds (vital for flavoring)
• 2 TBS sesame seed oil (vital for flavoring)
• 1 tsp Allulose (liquid)
• 2 eggs, beaten (or substitute with JUST eggs plant based for vegan)
• 2/3 cup ground golden flax meal
• 1/2 cup oat fiber
• 1 1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
• 4 TBS Allulose Powdered Sugar form
• 1 TBS Psyllium husk powder
• 1 TBS Real Salt
• 2 TBS room-temp butter

METHOD:

Great thing about this recipe, it is simply putting the above ingredients, in the amounts given, into the bread machine in this exact order as outlined below:

1. Warm water with yeast. Let it sit for 5-7 minutes until it foams slightly.
2. Liquid Allulose.
3. Caraway seeds.
4. Sesame Oil (here is where it starts to smell amazing)
5. Eggs.
6. Golden Flax meal (this doesn’t taste “flaxy” in the end product!)
7. Oat fiber.
8. Vital Wheat Gluten.
9. Powdered Allulose.
10. Psyllium Husk Powder
11. Real Salt.
12. Butter (room temp)
13. Close lid.
14. Set on the 3 hour bread making cycle.

NOTES:

• The original recipe stated 2 carbs per slice and this loaf was sliced into 16 pieces to arrive at that net carb count (NOTE: this recipe is high in fiber). I found the crust (my machine was on “Medium” by the way) was difficult to slice thru, making it P E R F E C T L Y chewy on the outside and nice and spongy on the inside. Because of this, I only managed to cut my loaf into 8 slices making the carb count roughly 4 carbs per slice.
• I could not taste the Allulose in this recipe at all. It is not sweet or obvious. It just blends in. Having said that, I’m not certain substituting it with another sugar alternative would produce the same result(s) but I also wouldn’t hesitate to switch it up or leave it out if needed. The liquid allulose could be substituted with sugar, in the yeast water, as the yeast will eat up the sugar to start growing.
• Holds butter well!
• To toast, try toasting it in a pan. This bread wasn’t the best toasted, but it works. I made a toasted cheese sandwich.
• One of my neighbors tried this bread. They said they like it better than regular store-bought conventional bread. They are not a low carber.
• This bread tasted even better frozen, then thawed. Simply slice it before freezing, so it is easier to thaw just what you need. The texture, stays chewy, and the “rye” flavor intensified.

SOURCE: I found this recipe on Pinterest, and adapted from the original recipe posted at https://lowcarbinspirations.com/wprm_print/306483.

My adaptation was to make it egg-free and it turned out great! Anyone looking for a lower carb vegan or egg free bread will be happy with the plant-based substitute. It doesn’t add any odd “mung bean” flavor (I think the sesame oil covers it up). Also, I think this same basic bread recipe can be made without the “rye” flavoring, by switching out the sesame seed oil and caraway seeds for dill (perhaps 1-2 tsp), dried onions (perhaps 1 TBS), and a bit of buttermilk powder. When this “rye” version is gone, I will try to adapt the dill version sans the sweetener and post the results here.

UPDATES:

As this bread sat a day, at room temperature on the counter top (covered, of course), it became an entirely different experience. The taste didn’t change much but the texture did. It is fabulous the next day. Better than the “cooled” from the bread machine same/day bread. For my taste buds, eat the heels of the bread loaf the same day, save the rest for subsequent days.

Having shared this bread with others, everyone who tried it liked it and wanted more, I’m not going to have any trouble finishing this before it may go bad. Nevertheless, I”m going to freeze a slice, just to see how it thaws. I ate it raw, despite originally expected to have to toast it. Most keto and/or lower-carb breads need to be toasted to be eatable. This one is great as it comes. I also found it way easier to slice thinly even nearly “shaved” thin. It is quite flexible the next day and doesn’t easily break. Cut thinly and cut in 1/2 it makes the perfect “cocktail” size slices of rye bread I grew up with.