Why it works: Molasses and flour 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 ↓
Mixed Bread
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a steady oven”. The 300°F (150°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the dough
Pour boiling water over cornmeal until well scalded.
When cool enough to touch, add molasses, yeast, and brown flour.
Knead the mixture well.
Let it rise.
Bake
Bake in a 300°F (150°C) oven for at least 4 hours, starting slowly.
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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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
- Cornmeal
- Gives the bread its coarse, grainy texture and body.
- Brown flour
- Provides gluten structure so the dough holds its shape.
- Yeast
- Produces gas that makes the dough rise and become lighter.
- Molasses
- Adds sweetness, moisture, and browning to the crumb and crust.
The step that matters
Bake low and slow. A dense dough needs gentle, prolonged heat so the centre cooks through without the outside over-browning. Molasses sugars brown quickly, so a low starting temperature helps prevent a burnt crust.
“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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