Almond Flour Bread, Keto

8 1/4 Cup (2 cups) Almond Flour, Wellby's Superfine
1 tbsp Now Psyllium Husk Powder
4 tbsp Flaxseed
1 tsp Baking Powder (Calumet)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Xanthan Gum
1 tsp Inulin
2.25 tsp Yeast, Red Satr Active Dry Yeast
4 tbsp warm H2O
9 tbsp melted Butter, salted
7 large Eggs, fresh, whole, raw

NOTES: First loaf I did, the bread rose beautifully and was uniform on the inside. 2nd loaf, I decide to get creative and double the recipe. I cut down on the eggs to 4 per loaf so a total of 8 for double, and reduced the butter down to 4 tbsp. per loaf, so a total of 8 tbsp. for the doubled recipe. I had some Rapid-Rise yeast in the freezer and tried that. I had also added nutritional yeast for a little extra oomph and did NOT add the flax seed. EPIC FAILURE WARNING!!!! The yeast in the primary inulin mix was rising vigorously. Didn't rise one iota in the bread pan, even after 24 hours. So I baked it anyway. Ended up with a lot of Almond flour Melba toasts. Apologies to Melba. I figured it had something to do with the reduced eggs and butter, maybe the additional nutritional yeast, but I wasn't yet convinced. 2nd attempt at creative, third attempt at bread, I went back to the tried-and-true Red Star Active Dry Yeast only that's when I added the flax seed for the first time. NO nutritional yeast added to this batch, baked a single one. I still kept the eggs and butter reduced. ANOTHER EPIC FAILURE!!! With the success of the very first loaf, I was narrowing it down to the eggs and butter again. Haven't tested my theory that following the original recipe is the way to go, proven, but it worked the first time so I'm gonna try again.

Parchment paper may be used instead of spray grease in the loaf pan.

Bread freezes well for the short term but too long may compromise the flavor because of the breakdown of the eggs over time.

The gluten-free bread pans are taller and more narrow than regular bread pans as gluten-free bread doughs are generally pretty runny. The dough will rise to the top of the pan to give a nice, square-shaped loaf. Note that the dampened cloth may stick to the surface of the rising dough. I ended up setting, but not attaching, a Saran Wrap barrier between the loaf surface and the dampened cloth. Even the Saran Wrap may stick so if you want to, remove the coverings altogether but you may have to spray the top of the loaf periodically to prevent the crust from drying out.

GOOD LUCK!

PREP: After rising, pre-heat oven to 350 °F. Add large pan or bowl of H2O on bottom of oven to pre-heat. Spray grease 1 (one) Gluten-Free bread pan or 1 (one) regular-size Pyrex bread pan. Seasoned folded steel bread pans work well, too. Just don't use uncoated aluminum bread pans without lining with parchment paper. I don't recommend the latter.

MIX: Flour, Psyllium Husk Powder, Baking Powder, Flaxseed and salt until well blended. Make a well in the middle of the bowl all the way to the bottom. Expose plenty of bottom. Put the Inulin in the bottom and sprinkle the yeast over the top of the inulin. May be gently mixed together for better blending but not necessary. Sprinkle the warm H20 over the yeast and inulin, let set for about 10 minutes to make sure the yeast is rising. Add the eggs all at once to the yeast-in-inulin blend, mix well. Add butter to eggs, etc., and mix well. . Quickly bring in dry ingredients to egg and butter, mix well. Scrape bowl often. Pour or scoop into prepared loaf pan. tap and shake on counter top to level and shake out bubbles. Allow to proof in warm, draft-free area until about double in size. Cover with damp cloth while rising to prevent crust from drying out. May have to re-dampen periodically depending on how long it takes to rise. I use my oven with the light on. The successful loaf took about 4 hours to rise, even with a bowl of warm water in the oven and the oven light on.
BAKE: Bake at 350 °F for about 10 minutes, reduce to 325 °F for an additional 35 minutes. Do the toothpick test after full 45 minutes. If not clean, put pan back in oven and bake for additional 15-minute increments until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven, cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Turn loaf out of pan onto cooling rack. May have to loosen sides with knife for easier release. Cover with dust-free cloth. When fully cooled (give it at least two hours), may be bagged and stored in refrigerator. 24-hour storage prior to eating enhances flavor.



Serving Size: Makes 1 loaf, approximately 1 pound. Serving = 1/16 loaf