A word of warning, you won't be able to live without this after you try it. If they ever stop making it, I will have to find less reputable sources. I can't live without it now. Forgetting to put it in the cart when ordering makes for a very bad delivery day.
If you are fully low carb/keto, bread can be tricky. There are some keto breads out there that are decent, but you'll get the best results making your own. My recommendation is the Keto Wheat Flour by King Arthur Mills. Yes, its pricey, but I consider it worth the cost.
For yeast, I use Once Upon A Mill mixed equally with LeSaffre Saf-Instant Yeast, Gold. I buy both yeasts in 2lb bulk packs, and mix a 1lb bag of each together. With the insane amount of bread that I make, that 2 lb mix lasts about 6 months.
You'll need to add some fat into your dough, otherwise it tends to burn. I use a mix of unsalted butter and olive oil (not extra virgin or virgin- because that is not for cooking, and the fats become unhealthy when heated).
I use Celtic Grey salt for all of the healthy minerals. If you use this salt, be cautious, you dont need nearly as much. It is much "saltier" than regular table salt.
1. For the yeast, you'll need hot water (3-4 cups) to dissolve some honey (2ish Tablespoons), after mixing the honey and water, add an equal amount of yeast, and stir it all together. Let that bloom for about 10 minutes. Dont worry, the yeast eats all of the sugar from the honey. You need to feed the yeast, since the flour is so low in starches.
2. After your bloom, add in about half of your flour(1 1/2- 2 lbs) and salt(1-2 teaspoons). In an electric mixer with a dough hook, mix for 10-15 minutes on medium. You want this to be fairly wet, but not liquid you can add more flour if too wet, or more warm water if too dry. You want dough, not batter.
3. When the loose dough becomes very stretchy, add in your fats (1/2-3/4 cup combined melted butter and oil) a little more warm water (1-2 Tablespoons) and the rest of your flour. Mix until a smoothish ball forms.
4. Lightly oil the bowl, and then the dough. Put the oiled dough back in the bowl and place in a warm, humid place for about an hour, or until the dough has doubled. 95°- 110° is ideal.
5. Punch down the dough to deflate. Divide (if necessary) and add to greased bread pans, or shape into desired form (ball, baguette, etc) and place on a greased sheet pan. Its a good idea to lightly oil the dough again, on any exposed surfaces. Let rise another 30-40 minutes, or until it has gained nearly twice the volume.
6. Cut vents into the top of the dough and bake at 350°F in a convection oven for 40-50 minutes. In a regular oven, around or just under 400°F for about the same amount of time, rotating halfway through.
* You'll know its done when it sounds hollow, when you thump the bottom of it. *
Notes- It is essential to wait to add the fats. The gluten in the dough needs to be fully activated first, and the fats will prevent the proteins from binding to each other if added too soon.
- The salt also needs to be added no sooner than the flour. Adding it to the honey and yeast water seems to prevent a good strong bloom.
- It is best to rise in a warm, humid place. An oven between 95° and 110° is best, with very hot water (boiling is good at the start) in a separate, oven safe container. Try to use enough water to last about halfway through the baking time, as this helps with a good rise. Too much steam, though, will make for a wet bread, and can lead to a dense, unrisen layer at the bottom of your loaf. So it's best if the second half of the bake time is dry.
- If you don't store your yeast in the fridge or freezer, use very warm water 115-120°, for the honey and yeast bloom. I use hot water (120°-130°) for mine, because the water cools when it hits the bowl, and because my yeast is cold.
* Yeast blooms best at between 100° and 112°F *
- I always use unsalted fats when cooking, so that I have more precise control over the salt content. The Grey salt I use is much "saltier" than bleached table salt, so you may need more or less than I do.
- If I'm feeling extra fancy, I lightly salt the outside of the dough before placing it to rise the second time.
- The amount of water, and flour, that you need, will vary somewhat, depending on the humidity and temperature in your kitchen.
- I can't list exact measurements because I just eyeball everything throughout the process. Apologies.
All of that is to say that this Crunchy Cookie butter is amazing in a sandwich. Good eating, everyone!
