Why it works: Flour and raisin match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,075 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Bun Loaf
Ingredients
Directions
Make the dough
Take five pounds of flour and five teaspoonfuls of soda, mix well.
Add one pound raisins, one pound currants, two ounces candied peel, two ounces citron, half-pound brown sugar, half-pound treacle, half-pound lard or butter, and two teaspoonfuls allspice.
When these are well mixed, add as much fresh buttermilk as will make it the right consistency.
Bake
Bake slowly in deep tins, as it will rise considerably.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Grape | 1/2 cup (76g) | 62 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Allspice | 1 tsp ground (1.9g) | 5 |
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 + raisintop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,075 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Currant + allspicetop 10% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,359 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl benzoate (fruity, sweet).
-
Raisin + allspicetop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,475 recipes
Shared aroma: alpha-terpineol (lilac, floral).
-
Raisin + curranttop 10% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together6,180 recipes
Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, creamy).
-
Flour + allspicetop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,302 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Flour
- Forms the main structure of the dough once mixed with liquid.
- Soda
- Reacts with the acidic buttermilk to produce gas, making the bread rise.
- Buttermilk (in the method)
- Supplies moisture and acidity that activates the soda and softens the crumb.
- Lard or butter (in the method)
- Adds fat that tenderises the crumb and carries flavour.
- Brown sugar (in the method)
- Adds sweetness and moisture, and contributes to browning in the bake.
- Treacle (in the method)
- Adds dark sweetness, moisture and colour to the crumb.
The step that matters
Bake slowly in deep tins. The dough rises considerably, so deep tins are needed to contain it. A slow bake lets the centre cook through before the outside browns too far.
Swap the currant
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, raisin, allspice):
- Figfits better
- Limefits better
- Orangefits better
- Currantthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against flour, raisin, allspice. 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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