Keto 'Wholewheat' Buns (with yeast!) 😎 (2024)

For the paleo & keto burger buns

• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey/inulin/sugar to feed the yeast (pssst! no sugar will remain post bake)*
• 120 ml water lukewarm between 105-110°F
• 168 g almond flour **
• 83 g golden flaxseed meal finely ground
• 15 g whey protein isolate
• 18 g psyllium husk finely ground
• 2 teaspoons xanthan gum or 4 teaspoons ground flaxseed meal**
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 egg at room temperature
• 110 g egg whites about 3, at room temperature
• 56 g unsalted butter or ghee, melted and cooled
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 58 g sour cream or coconut cream + 2 tsp apple cider vinegar, at room temp

• See recipe video for guidance on keto yeast breads. And check out the post for deets, tips and possible subs!

• Line a baking tray with a baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside.

• Add yeast and maple syrup (to feed the yeast, see notes) to a large bowl. Heat up water to105-110°F, and if you don't have a thermometer it should only feel lightly warm to touch. Pour water over yeast mixture, cover bowl with a kitchen towel and allow to rest for 7 minutes. The mixture should be bubbly, if it isn't start again (too cold water won't activate the yeast and too hot will kill it).

• Mix your flours while the yeast is proofing. Add almond flour, flaxseed meal, whey protein powder, psyllium husk, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt to a medium bowl and whisk until thoroughly mixed. Set aside.

• Once your yeast is proofed, add in the egg, egg whites, lightly cooled melted butter (you don't want to scramble the eggs or kill the yeast!) and vinegar. Mix with an electric mixer for a couple minutes until light and frothy. Add the flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, and mixing until thoroughly incorporated. You want to mix thoroughly and quickly to activate the xanthan gum, though the dough will become thick as the flours absorb the moisture.

• Divide dough into 8, shaping them into rounds using lightly wet hands. Cover with lightly oiled cling film (saran wrap), cover with a kitchen towel and place in a warm draft-free space for 40-60 minutes until the buns have substantially increased in size (see post for pics!). How long it takes depends on your altitude, temperature and humidity- so keep an eye out for it every 15 minutes or so. And keep in mind that you do need a bit extra warmth than traditional gluten doughs (I like placing the tray on top of my oven!).

• VIP note: find an (actually!) warm spot to let it rise. Over the years of working with keto yeast breads (and thanks to your feedback!) I've come to realize the importance of actually adding some warmth to get the buns to rise properly. Say, I like to turn on my oven and get it feeling like a summer day at the beach, and leave the buns inside for half an hour (with the door propped open using a kitchen towel). Then while I'm preheating the oven for the actual bake (the next thirty minutes of the rise), I leave them on the stovetop where they still get some warmth from the oven heating up. i.e. unlike with traditional yeast gluten breads which get most of their rise during baking (and you need to be careful not to overproof!), with these guys you get most of the rise during the proof.

• Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C while the dough is proofing. And if you're baking at high altitude, you'll want to bake it at 375°F/190°C.

• Bake for 25-30 minutes until deep golden, covering with a loose foil dome at minute 10-15 (just as it begins to brown). Just be sure that the foil isn't resting directly on the buns.

• Allow to cool completely for best texture, but you can get away with waiting just 15-20 mins for fresh warm buns!

• Keep stored in an airtight container (or tightly wrapped in cling film) at room temperature for 4-5 days, giving it a light toast before serving. Though you'll find that these keto buns are surprisingly good even without toasting!

*Before you scream sugar remember that yeast feeds on such sugar to emit carbon dioxide and make your bread rise, so it doesn’t affect the final carb count much (if at all). And yes, this is pure science.

**If paleo (or in keto maintenance), feel free to sub 1/4 to 1/2 cup of almond flour with arrowroot flour for a lighter crumb.