Why it works: Wheat and flour are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 12% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,373 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Brown Bread
Ingredients
Directions
Make the sponge
Dissolve the sugar in a little warm water.
Sprinkle yeast on top and allow to rise.
Sift the flour and salt.
Add about ¼ of the total amount of flour to the yeast mixture.
Cover and leave in a warm place to set the sponge until bubbly (about 1 hour).
Make the dough
Rub shortening into the remainder of the flour using fingertips or a fork until the mixture is like breadcrumbs.
Add this flour to the yeast mixture.
Knead well until a smooth elastic dough is formed.
Add more warm water if necessary, as a hard dry dough does not rise well.
Rise, shape and bake
Put the dough in a greased or floured bowl.
Cover the dough.
Leave to rise to twice its size.
Knead lightly to avoid bursting any bubbles.
Mould or shape into loaves.
Cover and prove.
Bake in a hot oven until thoroughly cooked.
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 |
| 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.
-
Wheat + flourtop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,373 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + sugartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together92,116 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
-
Wheat + sugartop 27% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,071 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
- Whole wheat flour
- Provides the bulk of the structure and a nutty, hearty flavour in the loaf.
- White flour
- Forms gluten with water, giving the dough its stretch and loaf structure.
- Shortening
- Rubbed into the flour to tenderise the crumb and add a softer texture.
- Yeast
- Ferments the sugar and produces gas that makes the dough rise.
- Sugar
- Feeds the yeast so the sponge becomes bubbly and active.
The step that matters
Adding water to the dough. A hard, dry dough does not rise well because yeast needs moisture to work and the gluten needs water to stretch. Add warm water as needed until the dough is smooth and elastic.
“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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