Why it works: Molasses and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 11% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,225 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓
Graham Bread
Ingredients
Directions
Make the sponge
In a large bowl, combine 5 cups of warm water, ½ cup of lard, and 1 tablespoon of salt.
Add 2 soaked yeast cakes and thicken the mixture with wheat flour.
Cover and let it stand in a warm place overnight.
Mix and bake
The next morning, add 1 cup of warm water and 1 teaspoon of baking soda dissolved in the water.
Stir in 1 cup of molasses and 1 cup of sugar.
Thicken the mixture with graham flour until it is thick enough to stir with a fork.
Smooth the top with a knife dipped in hot water.
Let the dough rise, then bake for 40 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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Molasses + sugartop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,225 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Sugar + flourtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together92,116 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
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Molasses + flourtop 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
- Yeast cakes
- Ferments the overnight mixture, producing gas that leavens the loaf.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the molasses acidity to add lift and a darker color.
- Molasses
- Adds sweetness, moisture, and a deep color and flavor to the crumb.
- Graham flour
- Provides the bulk of the structure and a coarse, nutty texture.
- Lard
- Adds fat that tenderizes the crumb and keeps it moist.
The step that matters
Thicken with graham flour to the right consistency. The dough must be stiff enough to hold its shape while rising. Too much liquid gives a dense, gummy loaf, while too much flour makes it dry and tough. Stirring with a fork until thick is the guide.
“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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