Why it works: Olive and flour are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 19% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 16,871 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Biscuits
Ingredients
Directions
The book gives no oven temperature. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps was added when the recipe was transcribed, as a starting point. The book gives no cooking times either; the times in the steps were added in transcription, so check for doneness rather than trusting the clock.
Prepare the dough
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the olive oil and mix until well combined.
Shape the dough into biscuits and place them on a baking sheet.
Bake
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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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Olive + flourtop 19% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together16,871 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- All-purpose flour
- Provides the main structure that holds the biscuits together as they bake.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas as it reacts in the oven, helping the biscuits rise and turn light.
- Olive oil
- Adds fat that tenderizes the dough and contributes moisture and flavor.
The step that matters
Add the olive oil and mix until well combined. The oil must be evenly distributed through the flour so the fat coats the flour particles, limiting gluten development and keeping the biscuits tender rather than tough.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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