Why it works: Ham and flour are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 33% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,516 recipes. Both carry phenylacetaldehyde, which smells hawthorne, honey. The science ↓
Baked Ham
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a slow oven”. The 300°F (150°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Soak the ham in cold water overnight if it is salty.
Scrape and shave off any rusty parts.
Cut off the knuckle bone.
Encase and bake
Make a dough with flour and water, and cover the ham entirely.
Fasten the dough to retain the juices while baking.
Bake in a slow oven at 300°F (150°C) for 2 to 4 hours, depending on the size.
When nearly done, remove the dough and skin.
Return the ham to the oven for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
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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Ham + flourtop 33% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,516 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Ham
- Is the main cut being cooked, so its size and salt level set the soaking and baking times.
- Flour
- Forms a dough shell that encloses the ham and helps hold in its juices while baking.
- Water
- Mixed with flour to make the dough shell that keeps the ham moist in the oven.
The step that matters
Fasten the dough to retain the juices while baking. If the dough shell has gaps or is loosely sealed, steam and juices escape during the long bake, so the ham dries out. A tight, even seal keeps the meat moist.
“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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