Why it works: Milk and flour are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 14% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 78,219 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Brown 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.
Mix the batter
In a large bowl, combine the sour milk and molasses.
Dissolve the baking soda in a little warm water and add it to the mixture.
Stir in enough graham flour to make a batter stiff enough for a spoon to stand upright.
If available, add the cornmeal for improved flavor.
Bake
Pour the batter into one large or two small greased pans.
Bake for 1 hour in a moderate oven at 350°F (175°C).
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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Milk + flourtop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together78,219 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Molasses + flourtop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,429 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Milk + molassestop 21% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together7,243 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
Milk and flour 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
- Sour milk or buttermilk
- Its acidity reacts with the baking soda to produce gas that lifts the bread.
- Molasses
- Adds sweetness, dark color and moisture, and contributes to browning.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the sour milk's acid to release carbon dioxide, which makes the bread rise.
- Graham flour
- Provides the structure and body that holds the stiff batter together as it bakes.
The step that matters
Adding the baking soda. Baking soda needs an acid such as sour milk to react and release gas. Dissolving it well in warm water and mixing it evenly through the batter gives an even rise without pockets of bitter soda.
“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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