Why it works: Butter and flour are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 12% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 124,287 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Windward Island Pie Crust
Ingredients
Directions
Make the dough
Cream butter and sugar together.
Beat egg well and add to butter mixture.
Sift dry ingredients together.
Stir sifted ingredients into butter and egg mixture.
Knead dough on lightly floured surface.
If dough seems heavy, sprinkle lightly with water and knead a second time.
Shape and fill
Pat pastry into place, leaving generous overhang around rim of pie pan.
Fold overhang over filling to make wide band of top crust around edge.
Place filling in pastry shell.
Bake
Brush top crust with well-beaten egg.
Cover pie tightly with aluminum foil and place in preheated oven.
Remove foil after fifteen minutes, continue baking additional half hour or until crust golden.
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 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| 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.
-
Butter + flourtop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
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).
-
Butter + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Butter + sugartop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together98,233 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Butter and flour barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 124,287 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
- Butter
- Creams with sugar to give the dough richness, tenderness and a short texture.
- Flour
- Forms the structure of the dough that holds its shape during baking.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps the crust brown as it bakes.
- Egg
- Binds the dough and, brushed on top, promotes a glossy golden browning.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas during baking to lighten the crust.
The step that matters
Knead lightly and add water only if needed. Overworking flour develops gluten and makes the crust tough, so knead briefly and add water sparingly only when the dough feels heavy.
“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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