A version of this post was originally published on HVMN Butter in coffee may seem weird at first. But people everywhere have been praising the benefits of butter coffee. A drink combining the quick boost of caffeine with the sustained slow release of energy from Read more
A version of this post was originally published on HVMN In recent years, carb counting has become a major point of dietary emphasis. With many low-carb diets such as keto and Atkins becoming more commonplace, it’s crucial to account for carbohydrates properly. The problem is, Read more
A version of this article was originally published on HVMN
There are two paths to achieving ketosis.
The first is through the ketogenic diet or fasting, which can take weeks or months for the body to produce its ketones. The second is through exogenous ketones like Keto BHB, consuming ketones through an external source. On the map to ketosis, these are different roads–one more winding than the other.
It’s been a while since I’ve done a meal post, so I decided to do a write-up of my latest way of eating – intermittent fasting combined with the keto diet. Up until the beginning of this month, I’ve been following what I call Read more
I recently reviewed the Low Karb Keto Bread Mix, so this review will be specific to Low Karb’s low-carb Keto flour. As you may know by now, I follow a keto-ish lifestyle and, I am always on the lookout for keto-friendly, low-carb flour. I Read more
I have been baking low-carb bread ever since I started living the low-carb lifestyle. As described in my article on low-carb flour substitutes, there are a variety of options when it comes to low-carb baking. However, as pointed out in that post, these substitutes don’t work in the same way as regular wheat flour and may need a lot of manipulation to get results that come close to the real thing.
Because I am always on the lookout to make my low-carb lifestyle easier, I always keep an eye out for the latest low-carb flour or mixes that can yield good baked goods without sacrificing flavor or texture. Enter Low Karb Keto Bread Mix. No, I didn’t misspell “carb” It’s really spelled as “karb” on the package. I guess the name is all part of the new way of naming things for maximum cool factor.
In any event, I decided to try out the Low Karb Keto Bread Mix because it promised that you can enjoy fresh baked low-carb bread by simply adding water! So, was it worth it? Read along for my review of the new Low Karb Keto Bread Mix.
What Is Low Karb Keto Bread Mix?
Low Karb Keto Bread Mix is made by Low Karb – a company specializing in creating keto-friendly, low-carb cereals, scones, and bread & biscuit flour mixes. I’d never heard of them before and they appear to be a fairly new company. I set about reading up on their low carb keto bread mix and discovered that it contained a few familiar ingredients including:
On its face, this ingredient list is not too bad, but Carbalose flour is a highly processed product and should only be used in moderation. Palm oil is another no-no because the cultivation of palm trees has a great negative impact on the environment, especially deforestation and its concomitant loss of animal habitat. Learn more about this here.
These facts notwithstanding, the folks over at Low Karb promise to make your keto or low-carb lifestyle easier by allowing you to make a quick and easy-to-make low-carb bread in about an hour and a half. According to the package, you get 10 slices of low-carb bread with only 90 calories per serving and 2 grams of net carbs. Pretty impressive!
How Do You Use Low Karb Keto Bread Mix?
So, how do we use this low-carb bread mix? Here is where the beauty and simplicity of this product come in. To make a low-carb loaf of bread using this bread mix, all you need to do is add 9 ounces of warm water. Easy right? It takes a few more steps to make the bread as shown on the package. To make the low-carb bread using this mix you need to do the following steps:
Place low-carb bread mix in the bowl of a stand mixer and add 9 oz. warm water
Using the dough hook, mix on low for 4 minutes (or hand mix for 5 minutes)
Remove dough from the bowl, shape into the desired form, and let rise for 1 hour.
Bake for 22 minutes in an oven preheated to 350 degrees
Let the bread cool and enjoy
That’s it! That’s all it takes to easily bake a fresh loaf of keto-friendly low-carb bread that is reminiscent of regular high-carb wheat bread. Is it really this easy? What are the actual results of using this bread mix and following the directions as stated on the package?
Results From My First Attempt
I followed the instructions as written on the package and made some observations along the way. The first thing I noticed is that after kneading the dough and letting it proof for an hour, there was very little rise to the dough. The dough seemed to spread out more than actually rising so the result was a disc-shaped bread.
I baked the loaf at 350 degrees for 22 minutes as instructed, but that was not enough time for the bread to develop any color. I decided to leave it in the oven for an additional 10 minutes and that was just the right amount of time. See the final results to the left.
As you can see, the outcome is golden colored a flat disc of a loaf. I let it cool and cut out a slice to see what the crumb looked like. I took a bite and was pleased to find a nice texture, not too soft, crumbly or, dense. There is also a hint of sweetness to the bread due to the sucralose (Splenda) contained in the Carbalose flour.
At the end of the day, the Low Karb Keto Bread Mix produced a decent, low-carb loaf of bread that has a great texture and good taste. But is this enough?
Is Low Karb Keto Bread Mix Worth The Price?
Making a loaf a decent low-carb bread is no easy feat, but the Low Karb Keto Bread Mix promises otherwise. The question though is the convenience worth the price you pay? Let’s take a look at the price breakdowns and the pros and cons of this product.
I paid $12.99 with Prime on Amazon for a pack of Low Karb Keto Bread Mix which makes one loaf of low-carb bread with about 10 servings or slices per container. You’re essentially paying $12.99 for a small loaf of low-carb bread.
Conversely, you can purchase a 3 lb bag of Carbalose flour for $16.98 ($9.99 + $6.99 for shipping) and make nearly 5 loaves of low-carb bread for about $6.30 per loaf. Making a great-tasting low-carb bread using a simple recipe is far cheaper than the $12.99 you’d pay for one loaf of the Low Karb Keto Bread Mix.
Sure you’d have to do a little more than add water to make your own low carb bread but by following this simple recipe, you can have results that look a lot more substantial than the flat disc produced by Low Karb Keto Bread Mix, with fewer calories and just 3 net carbs per serving.
Final Thoughts About Low Karb Bread Mix
If you have a lot of money to spend and you want the convenience of baking fresh low-carb bread quickly, then, by all means, go ahead and get a pack of Low Karb Keto Bread Mix. I recommend you use a baking pan if you want to have anything resembling a loaf of bread as opposed to a flattened dough discus. You can try to shape it all you want, but without a pan, all you’ll get is a flattened loaf.
Keep in mind that even though it’s convenient, the Low Karb Keto Bread Mix produces a rather small loaf of bread that may leave you unsatisfied and your wallet a lot lighter!
Have you tried this baking mix yet? Do you have a favorite low-carb flour? Let us know in the comments and until next time: Happy Eating!