Why it works: Flour and raisin match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,075 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the dough
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Mix flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a bowl.
Beat eggs in a small bowl and add in buttermilk.
Pour the egg and buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture. Add raisins and mix well.
Shape and bake
Place dough on lightly floured surface. Knead and shape into a round loaf, adding flour if necessary.
Sprinkle top with caraway seeds.
Place in greased bread pan or baking sheet and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 1 hour.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 6 of 7 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Grape | 1/2 cup (76g) | 62 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Caraway Seed | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
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.
-
Flour + raisintop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,075 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + carawaytop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,435 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + buttermilktop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,721 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Raisin + carawaytop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together75 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Sugar + buttermilktop 9% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,973 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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 structure that holds the loaf together as it bakes.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas in the batter so the loaf rises without yeast.
- Eggs
- Bind the dough and add richness and structure to the crumb.
- Buttermilk
- Adds moisture and tang, and reacts with the leavening to help the loaf rise.
- White sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps the crust brown during baking.
The step that matters
Knead lightly and shape gently. Overworking wheat flour dough develops gluten and makes the loaf tough and dense. Kneading only enough to bring the dough together, and adding flour sparingly, keeps the crumb tender.
Swap the caraway
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, sugar, buttermilk, raisin, egg):
- Cinnamonfits better
- Nutmegfits better
- Jalapenofits better
- Carawaythe original
Fit is the average pairing score against flour, sugar, buttermilk, raisin, egg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“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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