This high protein bread recipe gives you 8 grams of protein per sandwich round, lower carbs than typical white bread, and it tastes amazing! It’s the perfect base for your next sandwich.
Protein breads are popular, and for good reason – we’re all trying to hit those protein goals!
But the storebought versions are often full of additives and preservatives. You won’t find those here! Instead, you’ll get bread that is high in protein made with simple ingredients.
Does bread have protein?
A standard loaf of bread has a little bit of protein, but strategic swaps like Greek yogurt in the dough help make this high protein bread a great choice to help you hit your goals!
WHY MAKE PROTEIN BREADS
I love this high protein bread recipe! Here’s why you’ll like it too:
- Simple ingredients. You likely have all 4 ingredients in your kitchen right now.
- Quick and easy. Using baking powder as the leavening agent means no yeast and no waiting for the bread to rise.
- A sandwich vehicle that fits with your macros. If you have specific nutrition goals, sometimes it can be hard to fit the foods you want with the macros you have for the meal. This high protein bread can help you reach those goals!
- Higher protein for the same amount of carbs. My Easy White Sandwich Bread has 27g of carbs per slice, the same as one of these sandwich rounds. However, this high protein bread gives you twice as much protein, AND you get both sides of the sandwich vehicle (you’d have to add another slice of bread to make your sandwich).
- Batch and freeze. Meal prep your protein bread for the week (or more!). It’s easy to bake several sandwich rounds or bagels and freeze them for future meals.
HIGH PROTEIN BREAD RECIPE INGREDIENTS
I based this high protein bread recipe on my 2-Ingredient Bagel Recipe, with just a few minor tweaks to maximize the protein.
- Greek Yogurt. I used plain Oikos Pro Greek yogurt, which has added whey protein that thickens the dough. If you use a different Greek yogurt, you might need a bit more flour. Greek yogurt keeps the dough light and fluffy while adding protein.
- All-Purpose Flour. Stick with unbleached all purpose flour here. While whole grains have higher protein naturally, whole wheat flour will make you end up with chewier bread.
- Baking Powder. Baking powder is for lift, so we don’t end up with sandwich hockey pucks!
- Salt. Salt is essential for flavor!
- Egg White (optional). Brush an egg white on top of the shaped dough for color and to help any toppings stick.
- Toppings (optional). Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, everything but the bagel seasoning – whatever flavorful additions you want to use.
HOW TO MAKE HIGH IN PROTEIN BREAD
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with a slipat mat or parchment paper.
Step 2. Weigh flour into a mixing bowl. Add baking powder and salt and stir to combine.
Step 3. Add yogurt by weight. I like to do this by placing the yogurt container on the scale, zeroing it out, and scooping yogurt out until I get the correct weight as a negative amount on the scale. If you scoop the yogurt directly into the flour and accidentally add too much, it’s hard to separate back out.
Step 4. Use a spatula to “smoosh” the flour mixture into the yogurt until you can’t smoosh it anymore. Then use your hands to form a ball of dough. (This should happen pretty quickly.)
Step 5. Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Working on a lightly floured surface or on a Silpat mat, shape each piece into a bagel, sandwich round, or desired shape. Work quickly so the dough does not dry out.
If you press the dough into sandwich rounds, do it on the Silpat mat or lined baking sheet. Otherwise, it will stick when you attempt to move it from the working surface to the baking sheet.
If you are rolling the dough into logs for bagels, try not to let it sit for too long while rolling. Aim for a log that’s about the width of all of your fingers when spread out. If the log has air pockets as you roll and spread, push the ends of the log toward the pocket of dough. Do not try to pinch the dough together, as it will increase the stickiness.
Step 6. Place the shaped dough on the prepared baking sheet. If desired, combine 1 egg white in a small bowl with a teaspoon of water and whisk with a fork. Use your fingers or a pastry brush to brush the top of the dough. Add toppings as desired.
Step 7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until light golden brown. Take care not to overbake.
TIPS FOR BREAD WITH GREEK YOGURT
- Speed is key when shaping the dough for the high in protein bread. The longer it sits out, the more it will dry out, and it will be harder to shape. This is also why a bowl and spatula are better than a stand mixer in this recipe.
- Oikos Pro Greek Yogurt contains whey protein, which helps thicken the dough. If you’re using a different Greek yogurt without that whey protein, and your dough seems a little sticky or stringy, add flour 1 Tablespoon at a time until it feels more like bread dough.
- If you have Self-Rising Flour on hand, you can substitute that for the flour, baking powder, and salt in this recipe. Use 1 cup plus 1 Tablespoon, or 128 grams, of self-rising flour.
- Make cinnamon raisin high protein bread! Add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of sugar to the dry ingredients in the dough and fold in ¼ cup of raisins before shaping.
- Store high protein bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours or in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. You can also freeze the sandwich rounds or bagels for up to 3 months. Slice them first, and they’re easy to pull out of the freezer to pop in the toaster.
SERVE WITH HIGH PROTEIN BREAD
This high protein bread is perfect for any sandwich!
- A classic turkey sandwich with Homemade Lunch Meat and Failproof Mayo
- Easy Breakfast Sandwiches
- Nut Butter and Jelly or Jam
- Use instead of buns for The Best Burgers or BBQ Chicken
HOW TO MAKE BREAD THAT IS HIGH IN PROTEIN
I used two of my favorite tricks for making bread that is high in protein here:
- Adding Greek yogurt to the dough. Greek yogurt adds 3g of protein per ¼ cup.
- Brushing an egg white on top. An egg white contains 5g of protein.
But there are plenty of ways you can increase the protein in a standard homemade bread recipe. These work great if you want a whole grain bread in a traditional loaf shape with the soft texture and crispy crust.
- Add vital wheat gluten. You can add up to 2 Tbsp. of vital wheat gluten to a bread recipe without affecting the finished product. Vital wheat gluten has 7g of protein per Tablespoon.
- Use whole wheat flour, which naturally has more wheat protein than white flour.
- Incorporate oat flour. Oatmeal has more protein than wheat. You can easily swap out ½ cup of wheat flour for oat flour in any bread recipe. This Maple Oatmeal Bread Recipe is yummy if you like exact measurements!
- Add cottage cheese. My Homemade Hawaiian Roll Recipe uses cottage cheese to help make the rolls extra fluffy. A ¼ cup of cottage cheese will add 6g of protein to the recipe.
- Brush with an egg white or add egg whites to the dough itself. An egg white has 5g of protein, and you can add up to 2 egg whites per loaf of bread.
- Add a scoop of collagen to the dough. You should be able to add unflavored collagen to the dough without any noticeable difference, boosting the protein by several grams.
Looking for more ways to increase your protein? Try one of my favorite high-protein recipes – I always have these on my meal plan and keep them stocked in my fridge. This way, I always have a protein-focused meal to put on my plate! Grab High Protein Recipes on Repeat here.
HIGH PROTEIN BREAD FAQS
What type of bread is best for protein?
A typical bread recipe is going to have a larger proportion of carbs and a smaller amount of protein. Making bread that is high in protein shifts those proportions to higher protein and lower carbs by using Greek yogurt as part of the base of the dough.
Is this low carb high protein bread?
It’s lower in carbohydrates than other bread recipes. You can make a sandwich round with 27 grams of carbs, rather than over 50 grams for 2 slices of bread.
MORE HIGH PROTEIN FAVORITES
- Waffles with Protein
- Nutella Collagen Homemade Protein Bars
- High Protein Oatmeal
- 25+ Cheap and Healthy High Protein Foods
- Homemade Protein Shakes
- High Protein Trail Mix Recipe
High Protein Recipes on Repeat
Download the top 15+ recipes that are on repeat in my house, making it easy to feed my family AND meet my protein goals!
High Protein Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain Oikos Pro yogurt (226g) *this is where the bulk of the protein comes from!
- 1 cup all purpose flour (120g)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 egg white for color (optional)
- Toppings optional: sesame seeds, poppy seeds, everything but the bagel seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with a slipat mat or parchment paper.
- Weigh flour into a mixing bowl. Add baking powder and salt and stir to combine.
- Add yogurt by weight. I like to do this by placing the yogurt container on the scale, zeroing it out, and scooping yogurt out until I get the correct weight as a negative amount on the scale. If you scoop the yogurt directly into the flour and accidentally add too much, it’s hard to separate back out.
- Use a spatula to “smoosh” the flour mixture into the yogurt until you can’t smoosh it anymore. Then use your hands to form a ball of dough. (This should happen pretty quickly.)
- Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Working on a lightly floured surface or on a Silpat mat, shape each piece into a bagel, sandwich round, or desired shape. Work quickly so the dough does not dry out.
- Place the shaped dough on the prepared baking sheet. If desired, combine 1 egg white in a small bowl with a teaspoon of water and whisk with a fork. Use your fingers or a pastry brush to brush the top of the dough. Add toppings as desired.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until light golden brown. Take care not to overbake.
Notes
- I used plain Oikos Pro Greek yogurt, which has added whey protein that thickens the dough. If you use a different Greek yogurt, you might need a bit more flour. Greek yogurt keeps the dough light and fluffy while adding protein. Greek yogurt adds 3g of protein per ¼ cup.
- Brush an egg white on top of the shaped dough for color and to help any toppings stick. One egg white also contains 5g of protein.
- If you have self-rising flour on hand, you can substitute that for the flour, baking powder, and salt in this recipe. Use 1 cup plus 1 Tablespoon, or 128 grams, of self-rising flour.
- Make cinnamon raisin high protein bread! Add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of sugar to the dry ingredients in the dough and fold in ¼ cup of raisins before shaping.
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