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 ↓
Olive Oil Bread
Ingredients
Directions
Make the dough
Mix warm water, yeast, sugar, salt, and olive oil in a large bowl.
Stir in 2 cups of flour to form a soft ball.
Knead in additional flour until dough is soft and not sticky.
Place kneaded dough in a medium-sized greased bowl.
Cover and let rise until doubled in size.
Punch down dough and form into a ball or loaf shape.
Shape and bake
Place dough onto a greased cookie sheet.
Cover and let rise for 15–20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
Bake for 30–40 minutes, until golden brown.
Brush one egg white mixed with one tablespoon of water onto the bread 5 minutes before completion for a glazed effect.
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 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| 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.
-
Sugar + flourtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together92,116 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
-
Olive + flourtop 19% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together16,871 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Sugar + olivetop 35% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together12,483 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).
Sugar and olive barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 12,483 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
- Olive oil
- Adds fat that softens the crumb and keeps the bread moist.
- All-purpose flour
- Forms the gluten network that gives the dough structure and chew.
- Active dry yeast
- Ferments sugars to produce gas that makes the dough rise.
- Egg white
- Gives the crust a glossy, glazed finish when brushed on before baking ends.
The step that matters
Knead in additional flour until dough is soft and not sticky. Adding flour gradually lets gluten develop without making the dough dry and dense. Too much flour makes the bread tough, while too little leaves it sticky and hard to shape.
“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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