Low Calorie Healthy Homemade Bread (Sugar Free & Only 3 Ingredient Bread Recipe!)
Squishy, chewy, hearty, and delicious! This low calorie bread recipe is low in calories, low in sugar, and easy to make.
Jump to RecipeOk- there is technically 4 ingredients, but do you really count water? LOL For each slice of this low calorie bread, the calories and macros are 80 calories, 17 g carbs, 2 grams protein, zero grams fat, and 2 WW PP.
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Why you should make this low calorie bread recipe
Well, it’s no secret, I love bread. My first low calorie bread article was all about bread buying options at the store. You can see my favorite store bought low calorie bread list here.
But a girls gotta have her homemade, chewy, hot homemade bread too! This bread is perfect for sandwiches, toast, and just eating straight off the loaf.
Plus, it’s so incredibly easy! You’ll be shocked at how simple it is.
And, it only takes 15-20 minutes to cook. Which is awesome. The thing that takes the longest is waiting for it to rise.
3 Ingredient Bread Ingredients
- Bread flour- To have your homemade bread turn out more consistently, switch from All-purpose flour to bread flour. There really is a difference in these flours for yeast breads. The Bread flour has more gluten, the protein that improves the structure and texture of your bread.
- Salt– Homemade bread almost always calls for salt. According to King Arthur, salt “naturally absorbs moisture and helps strengthen the gluten strands”. They also say salt controls the fermentation process, allowing the bread to more fully develop its flavor. (source)
- Yeast– Homemade bread needs a yeast source. Whether it’s yeast granules or a sourdough starter, this is how we get a rise and development of the bread. I prefer the Rapid Rise yeast, because I can almost guarantee I’ll get a rise from it.
Sugar Free, Low Cal Bread Steps
- In a large bowl, mix the flour with the salt and yeast.
- Pour in hot water and mix until all the flour and water is combined. You might need to use your hands to mix it, but you don’t need to knead the dough. Just mix until all the flour has been absorbed.
- Cover with a light weight towel and leave it in a warm place for 1 hour.
- Once the dough has doubled in size (about an hour), Fold and shape into a 9 inch loaf pan, sprayed with cooking spray.
- Cover again with the towel and let rise a second time, about an hour.
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Once at temperature, add your loaf to the oven and set the timer for 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely before slicing.
Sugar Free Bread Tips
- There are generally only two problems I encounter with homemade bread. Either, my bread doesn’t rise, or the middle doesn’t get cooked all the way through. The first problem; bread not rising, is either inactive yeast or not enough time. In some conditions, bread rising takes much longer than 1 hour. This might happen if your rising area is cool and dry. Moist and warm environments encourage rising better.
- To check if your yeast is active, you can try proofing some of it with warm water and sugar. Wait about ten minutes, and if it starts bubbling, it’s active.
- The problem with your bread not getting cooked through the middle is tough, because you don’t know until you cut into it. There have been many times when I’ve wanted to gift a loaf of bread to a neighbor but I chickened out because I was nervous it wasn’t cooked all the way through. The most common solution I have found that has made a difference for me is to wait until the loaf is fully cooled down to remove the pan and slice into it. Many times, the bread is still partially cooking from the heat, as it sits on your countertop to cool. So, waiting might be the only solution necessary.
- The second reason your homemade bread might not be getting cooked in the middle is your oven temperature is inaccurate. An oven too hot or too cold for your recipe will not allow the bread to rise properly.
Healthy Homemade Bread Storage
Storing homemade bread can be tricky. Without the preservatives that come with store bought bread, it just doesn’t last as long. My first preference is to eat it right away. I try to only make bread for the day we are going to eat it, or at least within 2-3 days.
Healthy Homemade Bread FAQs
YES! I am proof. Calories count, so if you don’t go over calories, you can eat bread.
If that’s the only carbs in your diet, than I think it is. White flour isn’t the healthiest thing. But, in moderation, a slice of bread isn’t going to be harmful. I generally try to get your carbs from potatoes, rice and fruit!
Yeah, me too. You’ll have to choose for yourself how often you can handle the temptation. I usually make homemade bread on Sunday’s for a big family dinner, but I serve it to my family, and hope it’s gone before Monday morning.
No. if a bread is made with flour, it’s going to be the same across the board. The only way a bread has fewer calories from one slice to another, is the size and weight of that slice. The thinner you can slice the bread, the less calories it’s going to have. However, as a general rule of thumb. If you can weigh a slice of bread, it will generally have 2-3 calories per gram.
Most homemade bread only has 3-4 ingredients. Flour, yeast, salt, and sometimes sugar. There is not a single bread made with flour that is healthier than another. However, you can increase the density of nutrients with add-ins such as nuts and seeds.
Alternative flours aren’t great for making homemade bread. Flours like almond flour or rice flour don’t have the same protein structure that wheat flour contains. Therefore, the bread will not have the same taste, structure, rise, or texture.
All flour contains 100 calories per ¼ cup.
More from Health Beet
Low Cal Homemade 3 Ingredient Bread
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon rapid rise yeast
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 1 1/2 cup hot water
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Stir until well incorporated, and then use your hands to mix it till no flour remains.
- Cover with a towel and let rise until double in size. (about 1 hour)
- Spray a 10 inch bread pan with cooking spray. Put dough in bread pan and let rise for 1 more hour.
- Bake in oven at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
- Slice in 1/2 inch slices if you want the calories and macros to match mine.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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hi I made this bread yesterday…although it felt abit dense it is still soo yummy….have i done something wrong while making it to turn out dense?? I did notice when watching your video that your dough looked alittle sticky and soft mine didn’t. Do I need to knead it for abit?
HI Tracy! I really try to only add as little flour as possible and still let it be handled. Usually it’s pretty sticky before it rises. Do you know if your yeast is fresh?
turned out a little dense, it says to use rapid yeast…what is that in Australia??..I used instant dry yeast…for only 80cals still a yummy bread
Those should be close enough. If it was a little dense, it just could be that the yeast wasn’t fresh enough. Always do a little test to make sure it’s still active!
I did it! I made this yesterday and it is delicious!
Glad it turned out for you Annette!
this is the basic bread recipe I use except there is a little but if oil in it.
I do it that way sometimes too!
is it celsius or Fahrenheit
Fahrenheit!
Hi Amy
If using sour dough discard as the yeast, how much would be needed?
And does it work well with it?
I haven’t tried this with sourdough discard. But this is the blogger I follow for all sourdough questions!
https://alexandracooks.com/
I make an English Muffin Bread which is very similar. I will try this but don’t have a 10″ pan. Using a 9.5″ pan is there a different bake time? Also can this recipe be doubled?
YEs! this recipe can be doubled!! Should be no difference in baking time between a 9.5 and 10 inch pan. Close enough to be similar.
Delicious and so simple and easy to make
Thanks Patrina!
Would it be possible to switch with bread flour? I’ve read it’s less calories and higher in protein but I’m not sure how I would adjust the water. Have you tried with other flours?
I don’t think bread flour has fewer calories. Do you have a link to a brand you’re referring to? Flour is usually 110 calories per 1/4 cup.
How much does each serving size weigh, please? And how many calories are there in 100gr? This would be very helpful for comparisons 🙂 Thanks!!
You can estimate it’s 2 calories per gram by weight of bread.So, a slice of bread that weighs 100 grams would be 200 calories.I aim for slices around 40 grams (which is what classic commercial bread weighs)
Can you make this using gluten free flour?
I don’t think gluten free flour would work for this bread.
can you pre make this?
Yes! This bread is good for several days!
Sorry! That means 1/3 fat cream cheese. There’s regular cream cheese, 1/3 fat cream cheese, and fat free cream cheese.
Here’s an example https://www.creamcheese.com/product/00021000000289/philadelphia-1/3-less-fat-cream-cheese
Would this work in a bread machine?
I’m sorry Christen, I don’t have a bread machine, so I don’t know!
For step 3, when the bread is rising the second time in the pan, do I cover it with a towel?
Yes- the second rise is in the bread pan
Could one add italien herbs or something to add depth?
YES! That would be so yummy! I also like adding asiago cheese or parmesan cheese.
Hi! I would like to try this recipe. May I know how hot should the hot water be? Do I need to dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water first or just mix everything all together at one go? Thank you!
Nope! Just lukewarm water, and mix it altogether. No need to separate the yeast from the flour before mixing!
hi! may i know the serving size in grams? and if the flour can be replaced with coconut flour? thanks!
I can’t remember the serving size in grams. I’m guessing it’s close to 30 grams per slice, but I’d have to weight the whole loaf again to be sure. So sorry!
But also, cococnut flour wouldn’t work.
I’ve never made bread before but I was tired of all the unnecessary ingredients in store bought bread so I tried this out since it seemed easy enough for my first time and holy cow my entire family loves it more then store bought bread. My husband who isn’t a huge bread person literally starts drooling when he take a bite 😂 I bought some whole wheat flour today so tomorrow I’m going to try it with that.
I do know whole wheat can be a little heavier so should I use the same amount as with the normal bleached flour?
I’m so glad!!! I would start with the same amount, but I haven’t made it with whole wheat flour. Let me know how it goes!
Tried it with whole wheat flour and they came out amazing. They are definitely denser and heavier but it still came out sooo good!!!
Nice! thanks for getting back to me!!
Hi Madison
I use 1. 5 c wheat flour and 2 c white bread flour. If you use all wheat the bread will be dense and won’t rise as much so the loaf will be flat. It will still br good but not great for sandwiches😀
Easy recipe that makes wonderful bread. Thank you!
Thank you!
Would this recipe work with almonds flour?
It would not work with almond flour.
Sorry!!
Can you freeze the dough for later use?
I actually have never Frozen it, If you try it, let me know how it goes!
You can freeze the dough after tye first rising shape into loaf and wrap in plastic then put in freezer bag. Plan ahead because it takes a long time to rise since it has to first defrost! You can also freeze it after it’s baked
I made this. It is delicious
I made this. It is delicious.
Is this Really 20 slices per loaf ?
Yes, but that’s not abnormal. In a 10 inch pan, each slices is 1/2 inch. Plenty for a slice.
what is the main difference in using rapid rise versus instant yeast
The Rapid rise yeast has just been more “fool-proof’ for me. From what I’ve read, it dissolves more quickly, so it works faster. I’ve used instant yeast once (although it was probably expired), that I didn’t get a good rise out of, so I prefer to use Rapid rise now.
can you give the cup measurements in grams? like you say 3 1/2 cups of flour. what is that in grams please?
About 425 grams!
can i use whole wheat all purpose flour instead?
yes! whole wheat flour will work.
Hello – how many ounces in one slice?
I honestly thought I wrote down the weight of each slice, and now I can’t find it. If it helps, the FULL loaf is 1600 calories. So, if you slice it up, you can divide 1600 calories by the number of slices you get.
I’m so thrilled to make my first homemade bread. Thanks for this recipe.:)