Why it works: Flour and molasses are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 16% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 10,429 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓
Graham Bread
Ingredients
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the graham flour and salt.
Add the sifted all-purpose flour and mix well.
In a separate bowl, combine the yeast, molasses, and hot water to make 1 pint.
Pour the yeast mixture into the center of the flour mixture, stirring to form a batter.
If needed, add hot water to achieve a very soft dough.
Stir vigorously for a few minutes until well combined.
Cover and let rise in a warm place overnight or from morning to evening.
Once risen, beat the dough and let it rise again briefly.
Before baking, dissolve the baking soda in a small amount of boiling water and mix it into the dough.
Pour the batter into well-buttered small round cake tins or muffin rings.
Optionally, reserve some dough to bake in a small bread pan.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Flour + molassestop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,429 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
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