Why it works: Dill and rosemary share more aroma than cooks usually use. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 57 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Herb and Onion Bread
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Scald the milk and dissolve the sugar and salt in it; cool to lukewarm.
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water.
Make and rise the dough
Add the cooled milk, flour, minced onion, and herbs, and stir well with a large wooden spoon.
When the dough is smooth, cover the bowl with a towel and let it rise in a warm place until it triples in bulk, about 45 minutes.
Stir down and beat vigorously for a few minutes, then turn into a greased bread pan.
Bake
Let it stand in a warm place about 10 minutes before putting it into a preheated 350°F oven.
Bake about 1 hour.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 7 of 9 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Dill | 5 sprigs fresh (1g) / 1 tsp dried | 4 |
| Rosemary | 1 tsp dried (1.2g) | 4 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Wheat | not in our table | 0 |
| Water | 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.
-
Dill + rosemarytop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together57 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Milk + wheattop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,418 recipes
Shared aroma: (e,z)-2,6-nonadienal (cucumber, melon).
-
Wheat + dilltop 11% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together42 recipes
Shared aroma: methyl isobutyrate (flower).
-
Onion + dilltop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,639 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Wheat + rosemarytop 13% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together44 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Flour
- Forms the gluten network that gives the bread its structure and crumb.
- Yeast
- Ferments the sugars in the dough, producing gas that makes the bread rise.
- Milk
- Adds moisture and richness, softening the crumb and aiding browning.
- Sugar
- Feeds the yeast and adds sweetness and browning in the crust.
- Onion
- Contributes savory flavour and aroma to the bread.
The step that matters
Letting the dough rise until it triples. Yeast needs enough time and warmth to produce gas and expand the gluten structure. Under-proofed dough bakes dense, while over-proofed dough can collapse and lose its structure.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (milk, wheat, sugar, dill, rosemary):
- Potatofits better
- Carrotfits better
- Sweet potatofits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against milk, wheat, sugar, dill, rosemary. 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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