Why it works: Ginger and clove match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,038 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Ginger Bread
Ingredients
Directions
Make the dough
Combine the flour, brown sugar, ginger, and powdered cloves, sifting the cloves.
Melt half a pound of butter in a quart of rich molasses.
Wet the flour mixture with the melted butter and molasses.
Knead the dough well.
Bake
Bake the loaf in a slack oven.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Molasses | 1 tbsp (20g) | 58 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Ginger | 1 tsp grated fresh (2g) | 2 |
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.
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Ginger + clovetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together6,038 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Ginger + teatop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together216 recipes
Shared aroma: (e)-2-octenal (fatty, green).
-
Sugar + molassestop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,225 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Flour + buttertop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Tea + clovetop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together181 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
Flour and butter barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 124,287 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
- Flour
- Forms the structure that holds the loaf together as it bakes.
- Butter
- Adds fat that tenderizes the crumb and carries flavour.
- Molasses
- Adds moisture, dark colour, and deep sweetness to the loaf.
- Brown sugar
- Adds sweetness and moisture, and helps the crust brown.
The step that matters
Bake the loaf in a slack oven. A low, gentle heat lets the sugar-rich loaf cook through and set evenly. A hot oven can scorch the molasses and sugars on the outside before the centre is done.
Swap the clove
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, sugar, ginger, butter, molasses, tea):
- Cinnamonfits better
- Cardamomfits better
- Nutmegfits about as well
- Clovethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against flour, sugar, ginger, butter, molasses, tea. 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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