Why it works: Flour and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 15% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 92,116 recipes. Both carry phenylacetaldehyde, which smells hawthorne, honey. The science ↓
Pretzels
Ingredients
Directions
Make the dough
Dissolve yeast in warm water.
Add salt and sugar to yeast mixture.
Blend in flour and knead dough until smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes.
Cover dough and let rise until double in bulk.
Punch dough down.
Shape and bake
Cut dough into small pieces and roll into ropes.
Twist ropes into pretzel shapes and place on greased cookie sheet.
Brush pretzels with egg.
Sprinkle pretzels with coarse salt.
Allow pretzels to rise until almost double in bulk.
Bake at 425°F for 10 to 15 minutes or until browned.
Best if eaten immediately. If not, store in airtight container.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 4 of 5 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 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.
-
Flour + sugartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together92,116 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
-
Flour + eggtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Egg + sugartop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Flour and egg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 106,462 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Yeast
- Ferments the dough, producing gas that makes it rise and become light.
- Flour
- Forms the gluten network that gives the dough structure and chew.
- Egg
- Brushed on the surface, it promotes browning and a glossy finish.
- Sugar
- Feeds the yeast and adds a little sweetness and browning.
The step that matters
Kneading and the first rise. Kneading develops gluten so the dough can trap gas, and letting it fully double gives the pretzels their light, chewy texture. Under-kneaded or under-risen dough bakes dense.
“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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