Vegan Keto Sourdough Bread Loaf

This vegan keto sourdough bread recipe makes a stunning loaf that is crusty on the outside, tender and springy on the inside, with a wonderful flavor just like nicely fermented sourdough bread should! But compared to a typical sourdough, it has next to no carbs, way more protein and way more fiber.

Video Tutorial for Vegan Keto Sourdough Bread

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💡My Vegan Keto Sourdough Inspiration & Development💡

This recipe is really thanks to everyone who requested a sourdough version of my original vegan keto sandwich rolls. 

The original inspiration for my basic vegan keto bread dough were the keto buns from my local Save-On-Foods bakery. However, I first had the thought of making keto bread from my experiences making seitan; particularly kaofu (a leavened gluten food from Chinese Buddhist cuisine) which looks a lot like bread. It doesn’t taste like it though and I struggled to find a way to make it less springy.

However, it was on the ingredient list of the Save-On-Foods keto breads that I discovered that oat fiber was a thing. And they included flax seeds as well. There were a lot of other ingredients that were not accessible to me as a regular consumer (like modified wheat starch) so I skipped them. Then it was months of adjusting ratios, figuring out the qualities that oat fiber and flax lent to the breads, plus trying different baking methods until I came out with a recipe that was even more delicious than the original!

While I’ve been getting requests for a sourdough version for years, I pretty much thought it was impossible. How to guarantee a low-carb outcome after a long fermentation but without over-fermenting? I pondered that for months! Until I gave up. Giving up was the best thing that could’ve happened. Because then I began to uncover how to recreate the FLAVOR of sourdough without extended fermentation.

❓Why Vegan & Keto?❓

Personally, I have stay in ketosis regularly and keep to a very low carb diet most of the time for my personal health reasons. I don’t think most people do. But if you also need to be vegan or keto or both, I hope this recipe helps! But you don’t need to be vegan OR keto to enjoy this nutrition-packed spin on the classic sourdough loaf.

✏️Nutrition Info✏️

It’s hard to nail down a consistent serving size as each slice you carve from this low carb sourdough bread will be a different size. But I got about 10 sandwiches out of my loaf so I will call each slice 1/20th of this recipe. If you make bigger slices, you will obviously have a different serving size. Also, please note that I include all the sugar content before fermentation because there isn’t any way of me knowing how much as been converted. This means the net carb calculation OVER-estimates the amount of carbs. In reality, the net carb amount is lower.

On average, each slice of this sourdough (1/20th of the recipe) will have:

• 68 calories,
• 3g fat (0.3g saturated)
• zero cholestrol,
• 8.3g protein, and
• 5.6g dietary fiber, meaning
• less than 1.7g of net carbs

⚠️Ingredients for Vegan Keto Sourdough⚠️

Use Anthony’s brand of Vital Wheat Gluten. I find it has less of the gluten-y aroma compared to Bob’s Red Mill. Also, Anthony’s Oat Fiber has zero net carbs but other brands may have more. Please keep this in mind when sourcing ingredients. Also please measure by weight for best results!

Note: This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you use the link to purchase an item, I will get credit for referring you to the sale and will earn a commission. Please be assured there is never any extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my work!

 

Oat Fiber

With zero net carbs, this Oat Fiber replaces the starch that would be in traditional flour. It adds volume to the dough as well as a wonderful toasty aroma during baking. However, be careful not to confuse it with Oat Flour which is made with whole oats and is very high in carbs. Oat Fiber is made from the indigestible husks of oats. Another thing to watch out for is the nutrition label. While the Anthony’s brand of Organic Oat Fiber I use is completely made of fiber, some that I’ve seen online are not so please check the label before purchasing.

When measuring the oat fiber, be careful because this ingredient is extremely light. It’s easy to kick up a cloud of dusty oat fiber so please be gentle. Also, for accurate measuring, a scale is best. However, if you are just out of options and you absolutely must measure by volume, use PACKED tablespoons instead of the usual sift, scoop, and level method. It’s the most consistent method that I’ve found (though still not perfect).

Golden Flax Seeds

Flax seeds help this dough retain moisture and adds bulk to the dough without weighing it down and preventing rising (something too much oat fiber can do). I choose Golden Flax Seeds over regular brown flax seeds because they seem to have a milder flavour and give a lighter, nicer appearance to the rolls.

You may find ground golden flax for sale. I haven’t tried that type myself but it should still work for this recipe. Make sure to smell the opened bag before using it in the recipe.  The oil in flax is delicate so you should smell it before using it in a recipe. Rancid flax oil smells fishy so throw it out if you detect that.

I avoid this possibility by buying whole flax seeds. They are less delicate when kept intact and can be stored in the pantry. Before using, I always give them a sniff to double-check they haven’t gone off. Then grind them as needed. Always be careful not to let them overheat, and store leftovers in the fridge. This way, the oil inside stays fresh. 

Also, these days I sift the ground flax seeds in a wire mesh sieve before adding them to the recipe. I find the crumb comes out nicer that way.

Vital Wheat Gluten

The gluten in wheat flour is what creates structure in bread and allows it to rise and keep its shape. But instead of using the whole wheat that includes so much starch, we can use only the protein part: Vital Wheat Gluten.  However, too much of it will make your dough too tough and chewy plus have an unpleasant doughy flavour. So it’s important to mix in the flax and oat fiber. Also, I like to use Anthony’s brand of Vital Wheat Gluten especially because it has less of that distinct “gluten-y” flavour.

Warm Water

It’s really important that the water is not too hot to start. I usually start with some cold tap water and then slowly add just-boiled hot water while keeping track of the temperature with a thermometer; stirring as I go.  It should be 110°F which is about 43­°C. Don’t make it too hot or it will kill the yeast. If it is on the cooler side, the yeast will just take longer to do its job.

Yeast

You can use any kind of baker’s yeast in this recipe: instant yeast, bread machine yeast, or traditional dry active yeast. They’ll all work.  But I typically use instant yeast as I can get it in a large package and keep it in my fridge so it will stay fresh for a long time. 

Sugar

Yes, this KETO recipe contains sugar. But the trick is, you will not be eating the sugar at the end. The yeast will get to it first. Yeast is actually a type of fungi which will consume the sugar and then produce carbon dioxide and ethanol. The carbon dioxide is what causes the bread to rise; filling up tiny pockets within the dough and expanding as it warms during the proofing stage and even more so during baking. The ethanol is a by-product that will evaporate in your hot oven.

In this recipe, you’ll notice I used brown sugar. But you can use any kind of real sugar, such as white sugar, brown sugar, coconut sugar, and molasses. Don’t use low or no calorie sweeteners because they would not be good food for the yeast. In the same vein, some people claim that inulin can be used to activate yeast. However, I have tried it and it doesn’t work the same in my experience.

Salt

Without very much fermentation, just enough to make it rise once, this bread is fairly bland. Salt is really important for bringing out what little flavor is available. But feel free to skip it if you need to avoid salt for your own reasons. On the other hand, feel free to add spices, herbs and other seasonings to make this sandwich loaf your very own! Just add it last, on top of the dry ingredients so that it doesn’t burn the yeast directly. 

Nutritional Yeast

In this recipe, I’m using nutritional yeast powder but you can use the flakes as well (just double the amount). It will add a savory flavor which, combined with the Lactic Acid, mimics the fermented flavor of real sourdough bread without the need for extended fermentation.

Lactic Acid Liquid

This adds a sour flavor without any other taste or aromas. This makes it ideal for adding tang without making the bread seem vinegar-y or fruity. Together with the umami Nutritional Yeast, this is what gives this “sourdough” it’s signature flavor.

❓Looking for Gluten-Free?❓

This sourdough recipe cannot be simply converted to be gluten-free. However, you can try my gluten-free vegan keto sandwich rolls!

Special Ingredients & Equipment for Vegan Keto Baguettes

Ingredients

• vital wheat gluten
• oat fiber
• whole golden flax seeds (store in fridge and grind fresh before using)
• nutritional yeast powder
• lactic acid liquid (88%)

Equipment

• parchment paper
• baking sheet

Printable Recipe for Vegan Keto Sourdough Bread Loaf