A light and fluffy bread substitute that won’t fail to put a smile on your face
If you haven't dipped your toe in the cloud bread pool yet, come on in the water is great. This soft and airy alternative to bread is high in protein and extremely low in carbs, making it the perfect option for those on a keto, low carb, gluten free, or grain free diet.
The versatility of this “bread” makes it perfect for sandwiches, pizza bases and even as a healthy accompaniment for desserts. The best part? No special ingredients needed! Just eggs, soft cheese, baking powder and a little seasoning. Oh, and each serving packs over 60% of your daily vitamin A and calcium requirements.
Optional ingredients include psyllium husk to give the final product a more bread-like texture and cream of tartar to help you get stiff peaks faster when whisking your egg whites.
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Makes: 4 Servings
Ingredients
4 eggs (ideally organic, free range to get the most nutritional value)
125g soft cheese (full fat is best)
1/2 tsp sea salt
½ tsp baking powder
1 tbsp ground psyllium husk powder (optional)
¼ tsp cream of tartar (optional)
Method
Preheat the oven to 150°C (130°C fan/gas mark 3) and line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper.
Separate egg whites from yolks into two bowls.
Whip egg whites together with salt and cream of tartar (if using) until very stiff peaks form – about 2 to 3 minutes. You should be able to carefully turn the bowl upside down without it falling out.
Add soft cheese to egg yolks and mix until smooth and frothy.
Add baking powder to the egg yolk mixture and psyllium husk (if using) and mix until combined.
Gently fold a third of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture - be as gentle as you can so you keep the air in the egg whites. Fold in another third before finally adding the rest and folding again until incorporated.
Spread the mixture with a spatula, onto your prepared baking tray to about ½ inch (1 cm) thick. Alternatively, if you’d prefer to make circular cloud bread portions, carefully dollop the mixture into 8 ½ inch (1cm) thick mounds, spacing them about 10cm (4”) apart.
Bake in the middle of the oven for about 25 minutes or until golden.
Allow to cool before carefully removing from the paper and cutting into desired shape or size.
Pro tip:
To get the best results, make sure your whisked egg whites are extremely firm and that your egg yolk mixture is perfectly smooth.
Experiment with different seasonings to alter the flavour of your end product. Garlic powder and mixed herbs are great for cloud bread pizza. If going for a dessert vibe, try adding cinnamon or mixed spice.
Try adding about 50g grated mozzarella or other cheeses of your choice per batch of cloud bread.
Add a crunch by sprinkling different seeds on the bread before you bake them.
You can substitute flavoured soft cheese, mascarpone cheese, cottage cheese or full-fat Greek yogurt for the soft cheese.
Make large batches of this cloud bread ahead of time so you can make sandwiches, desserts and pizza in no time.
Storage:
The cloud bread can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Place a layer of greaseproof paper between each bread to prevent the pieces sticking together.
You can thaw frozen cloud bread at room temperature or in the refrigerator and reheat them by placing them on a rack in the oven at 150°C (130°C fan/gas mark 3) for about five minutes. For an even better taste, try toasting toast on a very low setting of your toaster after thawing. Just keep an eye on them – they burn easily!
Nutrition per serving:
Total carbs: 3g
Net carbs: 2g
Fibre: 1g
Fat: 12g
Protein: 14g
Kcal: 150