Why it works: Corn and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 10% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,955 recipes. Both carry hexanal, which smells green, grassy. The science ↓
Brown Bread
Ingredients
Directions
Make the batter
In a large bowl, combine the Graham flour, corn meal, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Gradually add the milk and mix until well combined.
Steam
Pour the mixture into a greased steaming mold.
Steam for 1 hour.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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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Corn + milktop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,955 recipes
Shared aroma: hexanal (green, grassy).
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Flour + corntop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,165 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Flour + milktop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together78,219 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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
- Graham flour
- Provides the main structure and a hearty, wholesome texture.
- Corn meal
- Adds a coarse, grainy texture and a mild corn flavour.
- Milk
- Hydrates the flours and supplies moisture for a tender crumb.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas as it heats, helping the bread rise and become light.
- Baking soda
- Works with the other leavener to help the batter rise.
The step that matters
Gradually add the milk and mix until well combined. Adding liquid slowly lets the dry flours and meal absorb it evenly, which prevents dry pockets and lumps in the batter.
“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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