No Carb Easy Bread

Recipe Author: Pearl Barrett

Intro continued... It makes terrible sense to isolate gluten or other wheat derivatives and put them in products as chief ingredients. Way to cause inflammation and even more problems with food sensitivities! So whadda we got here with NCEB? Negligible carbs, no gluten as we mentioned but also no dairy and the biggie… no shiesty ingredients! None of those things they try to shove into “keto” products and still squeeze into low carb numbers like tapioca fillers or potato starch followed by inulin to fabricate a lower carb count. Just nope. This bread has clean ingredients that you can trust. And IT IS FUEL PULL PEOPLE! That means it is also light in calories and fats. That’s the other problem with many keto breads… especially home baked loaves… they are overblown with dense fat fuels so once you stick butter or mayo on them… you’re usually giving your body more fuel than it can handle. Let’s keep our bread light so we can feel no guilt with the fillings!

All you do is add liquids to this mix, bake the bread up and your world is changed (check out the video and FAQ’s for getting best results). The crumb is light and airy… not dense and eggy and oh boy does it make good sandwiches. The flavor is neutral so it lets the fillings in your sandwich shine. Think grilled cheese with melted cheese oozing through the little holes in the bread… yep… each slice will even have some light holes like grain based homemade breads do sometimes. Or make a good ol turkey sandwich… or tomato and mayo… or make a lean sandwich and have fruit on the side for an E. Bread, bread… glorious bread… it’s back baby! Yes, sprouted and sourdough breads are on the THM plan. They have their own fantastic place but sometimes you want avocado on your slice or butter and you don’t want to crossover! The creations are just yours to get cracking with.. all the sandwich creations await you! Show them to us on Main Street… we can’t wait to see.

Pearl's Post on Main Street with her Tips on baking the NCEB!!! 

FAQ’s for Best Bread Results From Pearl!!

What type of bread pan should I use?

We think just a regular old standard size glass bread pan works great, but many others have had success using stoneware, ceramic and metal pans, especially a Pullman style metal bread pan.

My bread is very dark on top. Is that normal?

Each oven is different so your oven may be hotter than some others. You can turn the temperature down to 400 and see how it goes next time or cover the top of the bread with parchment paper half way through. You could also try cooking for 45 – 50 minutes versus the full hour.

My bread is sticking to the sides of the loaf pan and difficult to remove.

It is very important to use Olive Oil spray on your loaf pan before putting the bread batter into the pan. We’ve found that coconut oil spray does not work very well neither does just smearing olive oil itself. Once bread is baked, use a knife to cut around edges of bread to loosen any stickiness. Let bread sit in pan for a few minutes to cool slightly, then use a metal spatula or wide cake knife to get underneath the loaf and carefully loosen any underneath stickiness before removing. Alternately, you may wish to try using parchment paper in your pan.

How long must I wait before I can cut into the loaf after baking?

Wait at least a half hour. This is not like gluten based, yeasty bread which you can cut into right after baking. This bread must set and cool completely without being cut into or it will be too dense and the crumb will not be established properly. And be sure to allow the loaf to cool on a wire rack or on something that allows air to circulate around it.

My loaf rose high but has extremely large holes in it. How do I avoid this?

If you used a blender, your blender may be too efficient and whipped more air into your egg whites than needed. Many are reporting that setting #4 on high end blenders such as Vitamix seems to be just right. You could also try doing the whisk method next time or blend but don’t blend on high. Some community members have also found that a food processor works too. Once you put the batter into the pan… pat it down with your spatula to push down any air pockets. Don’t forget to use a knife and cut the X on the top of your loaf and tap your pan on your counter a few times to help air pockets dispel before baking. You can also try using a fork and poking deep holes into the loaf before baking.

My loaf did not rise very high? How can I get it higher and less dense?

Your loaf should be light, high and airy. So let’s trouble shoot. Did you hand whisk and not blend? Whisking requires vigorous action for at least 30 seconds to get enough air into the whites. Try blending next time if you can’t get enough air into your whites with the hand whisk method. Or use fresh egg whites… these tend to give a much higher rise. You can use fresh egg whites using the hand whisk method and get a lovely high rise or fresh egg whites can also give a better rise for less powerful blenders. A non-powerful blender is another reason you may not get a nice high rise to your bread. You can even do a mixture of fresh and carton egg whites to find your own best rise whether whisking or blending. Do not let your bread sit on the counter once it is in the pan. Put it straight in the oven to cook.

Can I use any old knife to cut into this bread? It squishes down when I try to cut it!

It is extremely important to use a large, serrated bread knife when cutting this bread. It should not crumble when cutting, you should get nice thin slices that bounce back after cutting but try not to squish it too much so a sharp serrated knife will do a much better job. You should easily get 19 slices out of the loaf.

My slices seem wet when I cut into the bread. What can I do about this?

This bread needs air and it needs a bit of time. Once bread is cooled, slice your loaf and leave the pieces out receiving air for 30 – 60 minutes. They’ll be perfectly dried out then and just right for sandwiches.

Does this bread have to be refrigerated?

Be sure to always keep your slices wrapped in paper towels. You can keep them on the counter for the first day or so. After that keep them wrapped in paper towels, place in a plastic bag and keep in the fridge.

Can I freeze my slices?

Yes, they freeze wonderfully.  Put 4 – 6 slices in small baggies then take out a bag at a time to thaw in the refrigerator for use.

Why doesn’t this bread toast up like regular bread?

Since this is gluten free, toasting is different. While some enjoy this bread toasted in a regular manner, many think it is better untoasted. It does however work fabulously in a pan. If you are not enjoying the results in a toaster, smear bread on either side with a little butter or coconut oil (or spray each side with olive or coconut oil spray) then crisp each side in a  hot pan. It works great this way for grilled cheese or for under your eggs or for avocado toast. Yum.

Last thing… why is this called No Carb Easy Bread when there are obviously trace amounts of carbs in it?

According to nutrition facts for each slice, there is less than half a gram of carbs. If less than .5 carbs in a serving (this bread has only .3) nutritional labeling calls that zero per slice.

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Laura’s KitchenAid Mixer Tips for the No Carb Easy Bread:

• Prep preheat oven to 450°
• Measure egg whites add to mixer bowl, measure water, cut open bag of mix, have loaf pan ready (I use parchment paper always), have a spoon, knife, or spatula handy.
• Turn on KitchenAid Mixer (with egg whites only) for approximately 1 minutes speed 4-6, with whisk attachment until frothy (not thick or very foamy).
• Turn off mixer add water & NCEB bag mix, turn mixer back on speed 2-4 for 30-60 seconds more.
• Scrape bowl sides and mix with spoon, knife, spatula then scrape into the loaf pan, score the top with a X, put into oven make sure to set the timer for 50-60 minutes, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes make the center of the bread just right, it might look done at 50 minutes however going the full hour has kept mine from “sinking” after taking it out of the oven.
• If the bread is getting big holes or sinking, try tapping the pan before scoring the top, blend egg whites less, try with some or all fresh egg whites, and cook an additional 10 minutes.

Laura's KitchenAid Video

No Carb Easy Bread Video

No Carb Easy Bread can be found at the THM Store! You receive two 6.3 oz packages, enough to make 2 loaves of No Carb Easy Bread!! Complimentary Recipe: Laura's NCEB Cinnamon Rolls