Why it works: Butter and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 81,283 recipes. Both carry (z)-4-heptenal, which smells biscuit, cream. The science ↓
Nice Buns
Ingredients
Directions
Make the first dough
Put four ounces of sugar with three quarters of a pound of flour.
Make it up with two spoonfuls of yeast, and half a pint of milk.
When well risen, work into it four ounces of butter.
Shape and bake the buns
Make it into small buns.
Bake them in a quick oven; do not burn them.
Make the second dough
Sift a quart of flour.
Put to it a little salt, and a large spoonful of yeast.
Beat the white of a fresh egg to a strong froth, and add it.
Make the flour up with cold water, as soft as you can to allow it to be handled.
Set it in a moderately warm place.
Next morning, beat it well with a spoon.
Cook on the griddle
Put it on the griddle in a round form.
Bake it nicely, turning them frequently till done.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| 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.
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Butter + milktop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
-
Butter + flourtop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + milktop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together78,219 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Sugar + flourtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together92,116 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
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Flour + eggtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Butter and flour 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 gluten network that gives the dough its structure and chew.
- Yeast
- Produces gas as it ferments, making the dough rise and become light.
- Butter
- Adds fat that softens the crumb and gives a rich, tender texture.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps the crust brown during baking.
- Milk
- Supplies moisture and protein that soften the dough and add richness.
- Egg white
- Beaten to a froth, it traps air that lightens the dough.
The step that matters
Baking in a quick oven. Sugar and butter brown and darken quickly at high heat, so the outside of the buns can scorch before the centre is fully cooked. Turning them often and watching closely helps them bake evenly.
“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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