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This low calorie bread clocks in at under 50 calories per slice and are perfect for toast, sandwiches, and more! Made with healthy ingredients, it’s soft and fluffy on the inside with a lovely tender crumb!
Low Calorie Bread
When it comes to homemade bread, my favorite recipes to make are keto bread, microwave English muffins, and this low calorie bread.
During my university days, I gained quite a bit of weight. While I had an active lifestyle, my lifestyle choices were another story. My diet was primarily made of fast food and frozen meals, and my drink of choice was soda. Over the course of two years, I had gained 20 excess pounds!
Fortunately, one of my friends had lost weight following a low calorie diet. They passed on all their knowledge to me and I embarked on my very own diet. One of my biggest fears was giving up some of my daily staples, including bread. Luckily, I didn’t have to worry, as grocery stores were stocked with plenty of low calorie bread options. Over a 6 month period, I successfully lost the 20 pounds I had gained!
Even after my weight loss, I still continued to enjoy some of the low calorie foods I ate during this period, especially the bread. However, I recently noticed that the ingredients included things I was not a fan of, including high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners. I grew up eating homemade bread that my mom made, so I adapted one of her recipes to make a low cal version!
I’ve been meaning to share a low calorie bread recipe for quite some time. It’s been perfect to fit into my daily diet and uses healthy and wholesome ingredients. It may be low in calories but it is full of flavor! The texture is soft, fluffy, and with a tender crumb. It tastes like any good white or wheat bread and is perfect when toasted!
As someone who used to rely on the grocery store low calorie bread, having a homemade version has been a game changer. The ingredients are cleaner and I can slice it as thin or thick as I liked. Besides, there is truly nothing better than fresh bread!
How to make low calorie bread
The Ingredients
- Flour– I used whole wheat flour, as it pairs well with the wheat germ and has a lovely flavor when toasted. White all purpose flour can also be used.
- Wheat germ– Improves the quality of the bread, thanks to the fermentation benefits.
- Salt– Adds some flavor.
- Sugar– Balances out all the other ingredients. This will not make sweet bread at all.
- Olive oil– For that golden crust.
- Yeast and warm water– The water should be around 43C/110F in temperature.
- Yogurt– Plain yogurt is preferred, but Greek or natural yogurt can also be used. Your yogurt must be room temperature, not chilled.
- Bread flour– The key ingredient! Depending on how thick or thin your dough is, the amount used will differ. You will need at least 1 2/3 cups, but can be up to 2 cups.
The Instructions
In a small bowl, add the flour, wheat germ, salt, and sugar, and mix until combined. In a large, separate bowl, add your warm water and yeast and let it dissolve. Add the small bowl of dry ingredients, along with the oil and yogurt whisk together until combined. Slowly add the bread flour until a firm dough remains.
Next, lightly flour a kitchen surface and transfer the dough on top of it. Gently knead the dough for 5-6 minutes, until smooth. Lightly grease two large mixing bowls and divide the dough into two equal portions. Place each portion of dough into the bowls and roll around, for the exterior to be lightly coated in oil. Cover each bowl of dough and let it rise in a warm area for an hour, to rise.
Now, remove the dough from the bowls and once again, place it back onto a floured surface. Shape each portion of dough into a loaf shape and place them in 9 x 5-inch loaf pans that have been lightly greased. Cover each loaf and let them rise until they have doubled, around 30 minutes.
Finally, preheat the oven to 185C/375F. Place the loaves in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Remove the loaves from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes, before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. If desired, lightly brush some melted butter or olive oil on the top.
FAQ
Which bread is lowest in calories?
Depending on where in the world you are located, there are several popular brands of low calorie bread.
- United States of America– Killer Dave’s thin sliced powerseed clocks in at around 60 calories per slice and Thin Slim foods has a variety with a mere 45 calories per slice.
- Australia– Country Split wholemeal or white bread. This clocks in at around 110-120 per two slice serving.
- United Kingdom– Kingsmill wholemeal bread has 59 calories per slice and Hovis nimble bread has 52 calories per slice.
Which bread is best for weight loss?
Bread can easily be incorporated as part of a weight loss plan, irrespective of calories. It all depends on what your daily caloric limit is and how much you are willing to put towards bread.
I recommend choosing bread that is made up of wholegrains and is high in fiber, to keep hunger at bay. Also, try to stick to slices of bread that have no more than 200 calories per two slice serving.
Is low calorie bread healthy?
Low calorie bread can be healthy, depending on what ingredients are used. There are some diet brands that add extra sugar or artificial sweeteners into their loaves to bring down the calorie count, but health-wise, it isn’t the best choice.
What is a low calorie bread substitute?
Switch out sliced bread with other bread substitutes, like tortillas, flatbreads, or even cloud bread.
Storing and freezing low calorie white bread
- To store: Once sliced, the low calorie bread can be stored in closed paper bags. They will keep fresh for up to 3 days. If you’d like to keep the bread longer, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- To freeze: Place leftover bread in ziplock bags and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
More low calorie recipes to try
Low Calorie Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups white whole wheat flour or whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup wheat germ toasted
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 2 packages active dry yeast 1/2 ounce
- 2 cups warm water 45C/113F
- 1 cup plain yogurt room temperature
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 1/3 cups bread flour * See notes
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add the white whole wheat flour, wheat germ, salt, and sugar, and mix until combined. In a large mixing bowl, add the yeast and warm water and let it dissolve. Add the bowl of mixed dry ingredients, along with the oil and yogurt, and whisk until combined. Gently fold through the bread flour until a firm dough remains.
- Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Lightly grease two mixing bowls. Divide the dough into two portions and place each ball of dough into the greased bowls, and roll around, until the exterior is covered in some of the oil. Cover each bowl of dough and let it sit in a warm area for around an hour, to double in size and rise.
- Grease two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans and set them aside. Remove the balls of dough and place them once more on a floured surface. Shape each ball of dough into a loaf shape and place them into the greased loaf pan. Cover the pans and let them rise until around double in size, approximately 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 185C/375F. Place the loaves in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown on the outside. Remove the loaves from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes, before carefully transfer them onto a wire rack to cool completely. If desired, brush the crust with butter or olive oil.
Just wondering if this is a low GI recipe. Thanks for sharing
Cheers
Helen
how can you make this in bread machine? What items go into machine in what order? What setting should I use on the machine?
No idea, never used a bread machine 🙂
Will the bread still work if I leave out the wheat germ. I cant wait to try it, as i love homemade bread and the less calories is great.Having a little difficult time finding wheat germ
Thanks
Sorry, Judy- I’ve only tried this recipe as written 🙂
thanks
Great bread…
Thanks for the recipe
Hi again. Disregard my question about servings. Totally missed it, but I can see it’s clearly indicated – it’s 20 slices per loaf.
Thanks again!
C
What would you say to using oat flour instead of the whole wheat flour? Still using the wheat germ though.
To be honest, I haven’t tried that- I’d be a little wary as oat flour tends to be more absorbant that whole wheat flour.
Hi. I made a few of your recipes over time and love them. Finally going to try this bread. Haven’t made bread in a very long time, so fingers crossed.
One question – Just to be sure – the nutritional info is for 40 servings. That’s based on two loaves, cut into 20 slices per loaf, right? I’m thinking of cutting the recipe in half because it will take me quite a time to eat one loaf – and freezer space is at a premium. 🙂
Thank you!! And thanks for all the great ideas you share. Truly appreciated. I’ve lost 30 lbs, and the recipes here have been a big help along the way.
Catherine
Do you think this bread could be used for French toast?
I don’t see why not!
Did you create a video when making this bread? I would love to see a video.
I have questions:
1. In your story, you said to use 1 2/3 cup of bread flour, up to 2 cups. If I scroll down to the recipe, you said to use 3 1/3
cups of bread flour. Which is correct?
2. How did you measure the flour? I assume that you scooped packed flour into the cup. I used a spoon to put the flour into the cup, and it never made a dough. It was a gloppy mess. I added 1 cup more flour, then another half cup before giving up. It never became a dough that could be kneaded. A video would help to know how “wet” the dough should be.
Thank you. I am waiting to see if the dough will rise.
I wanted to fiind a low calorie whole grain bread for my weight loss as store bread is so expensive.
This bread is so good!! I made my first 2 loaves and its really good!
I added 1 packet milled flax seed and a small handfull of quick oats. The yogurt is surprisingly good in it.
I highly recommend this recipie.
Has anyone converted this to a bread machine recipe? It would really help me out. Thanks
Anybody try with all purpose flour instead of bread flour? Would it work? Or would it alter the calories/ integrity of the bread
Can’t wait to try this!
Is the yogurt Whole Milk, Non Fat, or Low Fat?
Any work 🙂
Hello Arman,
I plan to substitute milk for the yoghurt. How would you suggest I go about it to get the most similar results to the original recipe? Thank you.
Not sure- I’ve only tried it as written, so you’ll need to experiment and see
I made this yesterday and the flavor is good. But mine caved in— I shouldn’t be surprised because everything I try to bake using fat free yogurt falls flat. 😫. I just don’t have good luck using yogurt in baked goods.
This recipe was perfect! I divided the dough into 4 mini loaf pans. I used an egg white and water wash and topped the breads with oats and sesame seeds. My family loves this recipe! Thank you! 🤗❤
I’m really looking forward to trying this recipe. Will it matter if I leave out the sugar or use a sugar substitute like a monk fruit sweetener?
I love your website. So much variety, everything is so easy to make and everything I’ve made so far has been delicious. You are my go-to baker 🙂
I think omitting it should be okay 🙂
Thanks for the feedback Brenda!
Hi Carol, I used my kitchenaid to mix/knead the dough too, but mine has come out fluffy and perfect each time. I’m pretty new to bread making, so I’m pretty pleased with the results.
Excellent tasting bread!!! Mine came out very dense. I used my kitchenaid to mix and knead the dough. Did anyone else use their mixer for this? I wonder if it makes a difference instead of handmixing and hand kneading?
This turned out amazing on my first try! So much more satisfying than store bought low cal bread. I’m going to be making this for a long, long time!
Great tasting soft bread! Just what I was looking for. The only change I made was adding 1TB vital wheat gluten with white whole wheat flour. This is a keeper.
It’s hard to read the recipes with all the ads & videos playing!
Thank you so much! I actually discovered that I needed to let it rise longer. after 2 hours it was a giant loaf of bread lol. This recipe is SUPER delicious and soft. Thanks for sharing
Would it be possible so share the ingredients in grams? because my loafs came out much smaller. I used 128 grams as a cup. that’s what the internet usually says. it is correct?
Hi there, we use American cups and tablespoons, we will be starting to include metric next year.
Great recipe! I had to swap ground flax seeds for the wheat germ. I also make it a habit to use up sourdough discard, so subbed a cup of that for 1/2 cup each of bread flour and water. Turned out delicious! Thank you for sharing.
Can I use low-fat or no fat Greek yogurt in this recipe
I don’t see why not 🙂
Greetings to you, Arman! I love, love, love your recipes and thank you for all of your hard work creating all of your recipes.
I cannot eat wheat or the germ at all and I am wondering what I can use instead. Thank you, take care…
Are you aware that almost all the links to this recipe lead to a page where the amount of the ingredients is not shown? Everything else is there, but not that …the url even looks the same…argh
What do you mean? The ingredients are all in the recipe card.
This is wonderful bread! I put my bread machine on dough cycle. It raised beautifully. Then baked it in loaf pans. My husband would have eaten a whole loaf if I would have let him. I didn’t have wheat germ so used more whole wheat flour. That was only change I made. This is my new bread recipe. I have used so many of your recipes and they all turn out. Keep up the good work.
Fabulous- Thanks, Bev!
Cant wait to try this one I will use mostly whole wheat flour more like these please, low calorie