Why it works: Flour and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 14% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 78,219 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Bran Bread
Ingredients
Directions
Mix the batter
Mix one quart flour, two quarts bran, and salt to taste.
Add one quart of sour milk or buttermilk.
Dissolve four teaspoons of baking soda in milk and stir into the mixture.
Add one cup molasses and mix until well combined.
Bake
Bake very slowly for one hour and a half.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Sour Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Molasses | 1 tbsp (20g) | 58 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.
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.
-
Flour + milktop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together78,219 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + molassestop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,429 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Milk + molassestop 21% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together7,243 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
Flour and milk barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 78,219 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
- Bran
- Provides the bulk and fiber that give the loaf its dense, hearty texture.
- Flour
- Supplies gluten-forming proteins and starch that give the loaf structure.
- Sour milk
- Adds moisture and acidity that react with the baking soda to help the loaf rise.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the acidic sour milk to produce carbon dioxide, leavening the bread.
- Molasses
- Adds sweetness, moisture, and deep color to the crumb and crust.
The step that matters
Dissolving the baking soda in milk before stirring it in. Baking soda must be fully dissolved and evenly distributed so it reacts with the acidic sour milk throughout the batter. Unevenly mixed soda can leave bitter pockets and uneven rising.
“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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