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Psyllium husk

Baking essentials · Baking aids

Psyllium husk

Seed husk that forms a thick gel with water; the binder that makes gluten-free bread rollable and springy.

Also called: psyllium, isabgol, ispaghula

2 recipes with it

Photo: Bastique (Cary Bass), via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-3.0)

What it is

Psyllium husk is the outer coating of seeds from Plantago ovata, sold as whole husks or fine powder. It is almost pure soluble fibre and absorbs many times its weight in water to form a slick gel. In gluten-free baking it mimics some of gluten's stretch, letting doughs be shaped and giving breads a chewier, more bread-like crumb. Powder is about twice as strong as whole husk by volume.

Plantago ovata

How it’s used

  • Binding gluten-free bread and pizza dough
  • Gluten-free wraps and flatbreads
  • Thickening drinks (isabgol in India)
  • Egg replacer in some vegan baking

Characteristics

Texture
Gel-like and slippery once hydrated.
When cooked
Whisk into water or mix with the dry flour first to avoid clumps; dough firms as it stands. Some brands turn bread purple-grey.
Sold as
powder, whole
Cooking uses
Used for binding, Suitable for baking, Used for thickening

Storage

Pantry-stable. Airtight and dry.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Always take with plenty of liquid; the dry powder swells and can be a choking risk if swallowed dry.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
374 kcal
Protein
12.803 g
Carbohydrate
20.216 g
Fat
29.512 g
Fibre
19.11 g
Sugars
1.085 g

USDA FoodData Central: Seeds, flaxseed × 0.7 (a close stand-in).

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Flaxseed — Ground flax binds but gives less stretch; use more.

Related ingredients

Recipes with psyllium husk

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