Breads and crackers

Flatbread for sandwiches and toasties

CONVENIENCE?
Apart from the taste, the convenience of bread is that it forms a nice barrier to your fingers and stops the inside of a sandwich from making your hands all sticky! Lettuce wraps provide one low-carb approach to sealing in the sandwich filling but making your own bread is often the most convenient thing to do.
As a sandwich ersatz, this egg-based cheese bread recipe is one of our favourites. It uses chia seeds and psyllium husk which provide bulk and also add texture. Don’t add too much psyllium husk though since in larger quantities, it possesses a laxative effect because of its ability to soak up water in your gut, making bowel movements easier (too much info for a recipe?). More importantly, this flat bread tastes delicious, is low in carbs, provides healthy fibre and is easy to make:

So what is psyllium husk?
Psyllium husks are derived from the seeds of the herb plantago ovata, and most are imported from India. They are traditionally used as a thickening agent or as a convenient way to maintain gastrointestinal health and can be added to soups and stews to give them a regular, creamier consistency – and they promote your regularity too! The bulk-forming nature of this dietary fibre naturally promotes a healthy gastrointestinal system.
It's cheapest when buying in bulk from Amazon or similar on-line retailers.

... or low-carb burger buns

Method
This is a recipe where it helps to have a food blender/processor.

Beat eggs in your blender till smooth and fluffy.
Slowly blend in the cream cheese.
Stop the machine and stir in the dry ingredients.
Let the chia seeds and psyllium husk swell for 20-30 minutes.
Spread out on a baking sheet/tray as if you were making a cake (or form buns) and bake in the middle of a 200°C oven for 15 - 18 minutes until the surface is a nice golden colour.
Let the finished bread cool before serving, then cut into sandwich size squares as desired (or use as buns).
Carefully slice through the middle for the perfect thinner top and bottom for your sandwich, toastie or bun. Then, lightly toast on the grill or in a toaster if preferred.

For an updated version of this recipe, click here

Suggested Fillings:

Ham, sliced onion, avocado, a drop of home-made mayo.
Cheese and slices of tomato… or try some fried halloumi for a warm treat?
Spread with home-made pesto sauce and add Parma ham and your favourite salad accompaniments.
... or use this to make an alternative to naked hamburgers (see photos).

For 4 sandwiches:

4 large eggs
100g cream cheese
15g psyllium husk (up from 10g in my original recipe for a firmer bake)
20g Chia Seeds (works best with milled chia seeds)
2 tsps baking powder
200g grated Emmenthal or Cheddar
Pinch of salt & pepper

Inspiration
This recipe was inspired by testing many similar approaches to low-carb bread. Other sources are:
“The How can it be gluten free cookbook” - which is not so much about low-carb, but gives lots of explanations as to what works and what doesn’t; it comes from the respected 'America’s Test Kitchen'.
http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/category/recipes/
http://www.dietdoctor.com/vegetarian-lchf-saturday-halloumiburgers-with-rutabaga-fries