Why it works: Flour and molasses are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 16% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 10,429 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓
Graham Bread
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderate oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the dough
Sift the all-purpose flour, graham flour, and salt into a bowl.
Mix the warm water, molasses, and yeast, then add to the dry ingredients.
Beat the mixture thoroughly, then cover the bowl.
Let it rise overnight.
Knead and shape
In the morning, knead the dough in the bowl without adding flour.
Use cold water on your hands to prevent sticking.
Shape the dough into a loaf.
Place it in a well-buttered pan and cover the pan.
Let it rise in a warm place until nearly double in size.
Bake
Bake in a moderate oven at 350°F (175°C) for 1.5 hours.
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.
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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Flour + molassestop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,429 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- All-purpose flour
- Builds the gluten network that gives the loaf its structure and chew.
- Graham flour
- Adds coarse bran and whole-grain flavor, and weakens the gluten for a denser crumb.
- Molasses
- Sweetens and darkens the crust, and helps hold moisture in the crumb.
- Yeast
- Produces gas that makes the dough rise and gives it an airy texture.
The step that matters
Let the shaped dough rise until nearly double. The second rise lets the yeast build gas and loosen the gluten network before baking. Underproofed dough bakes dense and heavy, while a fully risen loaf holds its shape and crumb.
“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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