Is Sourdough Bread Low Carb? Here Are The Facts

Published Categorized as Sourdough Tips

When planning to follow a low carb diet, eliminating bread entirely might be one of the toughest challenges you could face. Sourdough bread is the latest trend because it’s known to have a long fermentation process and many health benefits. But what makes this bread different from other bread? And, more importantly, is it low carb?

Is sourdough bread low carb? Here are the facts

Table of Contents

What is Sourdough Bread?

Sourdough bread is made with a starter. Essentially, the starter is a mixture of flour and water that’s left to ferment, meaning that it gets its own little community of bacteria.

When you bake sourdough bread, you feed your starter with more flour and water so it has enough food for all the bacteria to keep thriving, until they’re ready to do their work on your dough again.

Sourdough is also often baked at lower temperatures than regular breads; at around 90 °F instead of 400 °F, which results in a softer texture than most supermarket loaves have.

Is Sourdough Healthier than Regular Bread?

In addition to the tang and bite of sourdough, it also contains more fiber, vitamins and minerals than regular bread and it can even help with weight loss. The bacteria present in fermented foods are thought to be beneficial for digestion and lowering cholesterol levels.

Sourdough bread also has more protein than regular bread, containing 6.6 grams per slice, which is the same as two eggs or three ounces of meat.

Furthermore, sourdough contains less sugar than traditional white sandwich bread does. With only 1 teaspoon per serving as opposed to 3 teaspoons in other types. This means that you get all the flavours without any added sugar.

Does Sourdough Bread Have Less Carbs?

Sourdough bread is made from a starter, which is a mixture of flour and water with naturally occurring yeasts and bacteria. The bacteria in the starter breaks down some of the carbohydrates in the flour and make them unavailable during baking.

This means that sourdough bread has less carbs compared to regular wheat bread.

Is Sourdough Low Carb?

If you’re following a keto diet, it’s important to consider the amount of carbohydrates in each serving of sourdough bread. The amount varies depending on how your bread is made and what type of flour is used for the recipe.

Regular wheat-based breads have high levels of sugar and carbohydrates, but sourdough is lower in both of these things.

Although, sourdough bread does have some carbs, it’s not going to make much of a dent when you’re on a low-carb diet. Sourdough has 10 grams of carbs per slice compared to the 20 grams per slice of regular bread. Consequently, sourdough bread makes an excellent choice for sandwiches or toast at breakfast time.

Is Sourdough Keto?

Determining whether a certain type of bread is entirely keto-friendly or not, will depend on its carb content. With sourdough bread it’s a little different, because you can make this bread using any type of flour you desire. Using whole-grain flour in place of all-purpose flour will lower the carb content, making whole grain sourdough a perfect alternative to regular high-carb bread.

Is Sourdough Bread Keto Friendly?

Sourdough bread is indeed keto friendly – if made with the right ingredients.

You can make sourdough bread with a starter, but you have to make sure that the starter contains only whole grain flour and water. If you’re going to use a starter, it needs to be fed regularly with more flour and water until it becomes bubbly and thick.

Sourdough bread is also low in gluten, which makes it great for people who suffer from celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity. It’s also lower in carbs than regular bread, so it’s a good choice for those following the keto diet.

Can You Eat Sourdough Bread on a Keto Diet?

You may have noticed that sourdough bread is sometimes listed as a low-carbohydrate food. But this does not mean that all sourdough breads are low in carbohydrates. The reason for this has to do with how the bread is made.

Some sourdough breads contain wheat and other grains, which are not keto diet friendly. Others may contain contain sugar, milk or more ingredients which would mean that the bread is not keto diet friendly.

If you’re new to the keto diet, then the recommended quantity of carbs per day may begin at 50 grams. In this case it’ll be completely reasonable for you to have 1 or 2 slices of sourdough bread, since it contains 10 grams of carbs per slice. However, this will heavily rely on the type of flour used to make the sourdough starter.

Standard sourdough isn’t keto friendly, because the all-purpose flour is made from grain making it high in carbs.

Low Carb Sourdough Bread Recipe

Sourdough bread is delicious and versatile, but the best part is that it’s packed with healthy prebiotics. The sweet and tangy flavor of sourdough also makes it an ideal option for keto dieters looking to add variety to their snacks or meals.

Since this high-fat, low-carb eating plan involves cutting out many grains, which would also include traditional sourdough, here’s a way to make a keto version that still retains the rich taste and texture of the real deal:

  • Almond flour
  • Psyllium husk powder
  • Fine coconut flour
  • Flax seed powder
  • Baking powder
  • Himalayan salt
  • Egg whites
  • Egg
  • Buttermilk
  • Raw apple cider
  • Warm water

Begin by gathering all your ingredients, then combine the almond flour, psyllium husk powder, coconut flour, flax seed powder, and salt. In a bowl beat the egg whites, egg, buttermilk and apple cider vinegar. Fold the wet with the dry ingredients. Gradually add water into the mix until you have a nice dough.

Preheat your oven to 375 °F, and knead your dough into a nice ball, place it into a greased baking dish, and bake for an hour.

Types of Keto Friendly Bread

If you’ve been following the keto diet for longer than a hot minute, you probably already know how difficult it is to find low-carb bread that doesn’t remind you of cardboard. Here are some delicious keto-friendly breads for you to try, trust me – they’re wonderful!

  • Cloud Bread
  • Fathead Dough
  • Ezekiel Bread
  • Sourdough bread

Cloud Bread

Cloud bread is a low-carb, flourless alternative to traditional sandwich bread. It’s made with eggs, cream cheese and cream of tartar. You can use it in place of tortillas or flatbreads for making sandwiches or wraps. Its texture is soft and spongy – similar to pita bread – so it’s ideal for dipping or spreading toppings onto. Cloud bread also makes an excellent base for bruschetta and paninis.

Fathead Dough

The fathead dough is made from mozzarella cheese and cream cheese. The best thing about this dough is that it’s easy to make and can be used in place of breadcrumbs for low carb pizzas. You can also use the fathead dough to make pizza crust or garlic knots, or even use it as a bun for your burgers!

Ezekiel Bread

Most breads are full of carbs, which can make it difficult for you to stick to a low carb diet. If you’re following a ketogenic or low carb lifestyle, Ezekiel bread may be the answer.

Ezekiel bread is made with sprouted grains and legumes instead of regular flour, so it has fewer carbohydrates than regular bread. This makes it a great choice if you’re trying to limit your carb intake while still getting all the nutrients that come from eating whole grains. It also contains other healthy ingredients like protein and fiber which can help keep you feeling full longer.

Sourdough Bread

Sourdough bread is an especially good option for those on a keto diet. It’s made with a starter that contains live bacteria, which helps break down the starches in the flour and allows it to be digested more easily.

Sourdough bread is particularly low in carbs, with 1 slice containing about 7 grams of carbs! A standard loaf of sourdough has roughly 100 calories and 2-3 grams of net carbs per slice. Which is nothing compared to the standards 50-60 grams of carbs found in even the thinnest slices of white sandwich bread.

So is Sourdough Bread Low Carb?

Sourdough bread is indeed low-carb, with 7-10 grams of carb in each slice. It’s great to incorporate in your keto diet.

Whether you choose to make a sandwich, toastie, or use it as a dipping tool for your soup, you’ll find yourself inevitably enjoying the subtle tanginess, without experiencing the void of regular white bread!

FAQs

Is Sourdough Bread a Carb?

Yes sourdough bread has carbs, that can be lowered depending on the type of flour used. When made with white flour, sourdough bread has a fairly high carb content.

Is Sourdough Bread Good For Weight Loss?

Sourdough leavened whole meal bread can assist in weight loss due to its combined glycemic index.

By Natasha Krajnc

Hi! My name is Natasha and I'm specialized in home sourdough bread baking and currently based in Slovakia - a very small country in Central Europe. My bread baking story began in 2011 when I decided to give up commercial yeast. I felt tired all the time (especially after eating bread and other foods made with yeast), I wasn’t motivated to do anything, had trouble concentrating throughout the day, my abdomen was bloated and I was like a trumpet on steroids – basically, I was quite a wreck. I was a big bread lover (and still am) and having to stop eating bread was quite hard at that time but I felt I was on a right way to give my body a chance to heal itself.

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