Why it works: Raisin and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 13% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 12,481 recipes. Both carry beta-damascenone, which smells apple, rose. The science ↓
Blue Corn Pan Bread
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Preheat oven to 300ºF.
Line an 8x8-inch cake pan with foil.
Make the batter
Bring water to a boil in a large pot.
Add each ingredient, one at a time.
Stir well until mixture is smooth.
Pour mixture into foil-lined cake pan.
Cover pan with a piece of foil.
Bake
Bake for 2 hours.
Bread is done when a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 2 of 4 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 2 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Grape | 1/2 cup (76g) | 62 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
| Wheat | 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.
-
Raisin + sugartop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,481 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Raisin + wheattop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together163 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
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
- Blue cornmeal
- Forms the bulk of the bread and gives it its corn flavor and coarse structure.
- Yellow cornmeal
- Adds more corn body and texture to the bread's crumb.
- Sprouted wheat
- Adds some wheat structure and a nutty, grainy flavor to the loaf.
- Brown sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps the crust brown during baking.
- Raisins
- Add pockets of sweetness and moisture throughout the bread.
The step that matters
Stir until smooth before pouring. Cornmeal absorbs liquid and settles quickly, so a well-stirred, evenly hydrated mixture bakes into a uniform crumb rather than dense, gritty pockets.
Swap the raisin
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (wheat, sugar):
- Vanillafits better
- Figfits better
- Blueberryfits about as well
- Raisinthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against wheat, sugar. 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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