Why it works: Sugar and flour 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 ↓
White Bread
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the dough
Dissolve yeast in warm water and 1 teaspoon sugar.
Combine salt, shortening, 1/2 cup sugar, water and yeast mixture well in large mixing bowl.
Add 5 cups flour and beat with electric mixer for 3 minutes.
Stir in 6 cups flour by hand.
Turn onto floured board and knead 5 minutes.
Rise and shape
Place in greased bowl, turning once, cover and let rise 1/2 hour.
Punch down, turn over and let rise again until double.
Knead a few minutes.
Shape into 4 loaves and place in greased 9"x5" loaf pans.
Cover loaves with damp cloth and let rise until doubled.
Bake
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
Brush tops with margarine if desired.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 5 of 6 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Lard | 1 tbsp (12.8g) | 115 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| 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.
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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Sugar + flourtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together92,116 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
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 loaves their structure and chew.
- Yeast
- Produces gas as it ferments, making the dough rise and become airy.
- Shortening
- Tenderizes the crumb and adds fat that softens the texture.
- Sugar
- Feeds the yeast and adds a little sweetness and browning to the crust.
- Salt
- Controls yeast activity and strengthens the gluten for better flavor and structure.
The step that matters
Kneading and the rises. Kneading develops gluten so the dough can trap gas. Letting it rise fully before shaping gives the loaves lift; under-proofed dough bakes dense, while over-proofed dough can collapse.
“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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