PULL-APART KETO BREAD ROLLS

These Keto bread rolls remind me of the sweet milk buns I used to love as a kid. Because of the yeast, they rise a lot and become airy and light. We all thought they were a pleasure to eat! The recipe uses almond flour and is low carb, gluten and sugar free. German babies are pretty much born with a bread roll in their hands, and I am no exception. When I was little, my breakfast of choice were “milk buns”. These were sweet, airy white rolls made with milk and yeast, a bit like brioche or challah. I’d devour them for breakfast!German babies are pretty much born with a bread roll in their hands, and I am no exception. When I was little, my breakfast of choice were “milk buns”. These were sweet, airy white rolls made with milk and yeast, a bit like brioche or challah. I’d devour them for breakfast!
Yeast, as we all know, is a living thing. It feeds on the sugars in the ingredients, emits carbon dioxide and thus the dough rises. Traditional milk buns contain wheat, milk and sugar. Plenty of sugars there. So how do you make a bun rise using low carb ingredients such as almond flour?

.) First, proof your yeast. We want to make sure it’s working and activated – and if it doesn’t, we can start all over again without having to throw away expensive ingredients or having to eat tiny, hard rolls!

You simply mix the yeast with warm water and inulin. Cover your bowl with a kitchen towel and put in a warm, draught-free place for 5-10 minutes. This could be above a radiator, on top of your oven or even inside your boiler cupboard.

See the froth and bubbles in the image above? That’s what needs to happen.

While you are waiting for the yeast to proof, combine all dry ingredients in a separate bowl and set aside.

2.) Once the yeast is proofed, add it to your eggs, egg whites and melted butter and blend well.

The correct temperature of the ingredients is essential. Your eggs must be room temperature. Also, make sure that you give the butter time to cool down so it’s only lukewarm and not scalding hot. Yeast thrives in a warm environment. If it’s too cold or too hot, they can die off and your rolls simply won’t rise.3.) Now add the first half of the dry ingredients – whey, almond flour, psyllium and baking powder – plus the Greek yoghurt. Blend until combined, then add the second half of the dry ingredients.
4.) This is what it should look like – sticky and rather firm. Time to work rapidly now, so the dough does not cool down too much!
5.) Line a baking tray with parchment paper. I used a regular sized pie dish, but a rectangular casserole dish would work just as well.

Wet your hands so the dough doesn’t stick too much and form 8 balls, leaving space around the Keto bread rolls because they will double in size.

Cover again with your kitchen towel or, even better, with a lightly oiled piece of cling film first and then with the kitchen towel (less chance of the dough drying out). Aaaand – place the lot back in your warm place of choice for 50-60 minutes to let the dough rise.

6.) Time for the yeast rolls to go into the oven! I recommend to bake them for around 15 minutes or until lightly browned, and then add another 7-10 minutes loosely covered with aluminium foil. Total baking time should be ca 22-25 minutes.

Note – I did NOT cover the rolls in the images and find they turned just a little too dark for my liking. Covering them with a foil dome should make them just perfect.

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 2 cups / 200g  or ground almonds
• 3 tbsp 
• 3 tbsp 
• 2 tsp 
• 2 tsp 
• 2 tsp active dry yeast

Wet Ingredients

• 2 eggs, large room temperature
• 2 egg whites room temperature
• 1/4 cup / 50g butter melted
• scant 1/4 cup / 50g Greek yoghurt
• 1/3 cup / 80ml lukewarm water

Instructions

1. Proof the yeast! Put the yeast and inulin into a bowl and add the warm water (40 Celsius / 105 Fahrenheit).  If you don’t have a thermometer, the water should be warm to the touch. Cover the bowl  with a kitchen towel and leave in a warm place for 5-10 minutes until it starts to froth and thicken.
2. In the meantime, combine the dry ingredients –  almond flour, protein powder, psyllium husk powder, baking powder –  in another bowl and set aside. 
3. Using an electric mixer or a food processor, whisk the room temperature eggs and egg whites, melted (warm, not hot!!) butter and the activated yeast mixture until well combined. 
4. Add the yoghurt and the first half of the dry ingredients mixture. Blend until combined, then add the second half of the flour mix. The dough will thicken quickly as the psyllium and the almond flour absorb the moisture. 
5. Line a pie dish or a casserole dish with parchment paper.  Lightly wet your hands and form eight dough balls. Make sure you leave some space around the rolls as they will significantly increase in size.
6. Cover the dish with lightly oiled cling film and a kitchen towel and return to a warm space for around 50 to 60 minutes until the rolls have substantially expanded – see the images in the post. I like to place my tray on top of the radiator.
7. Towards the end of the rising time, pre-heat the oven to 175°C/350 Fahrenheit.
8. Bake for around 15 minutes or until the rolls are starting to brown. Then cover loosely with aluminium foil and continue to bake for another 7-10 minutes.