Why it works: Wheat and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,418 recipes. Both carry (e,z)-2,6-nonadienal, which smells cucumber, melon. The science ↓
Graham Griddle-cakes
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the batter
Mix graham flour and wheat flour together, then add sugar and salt.
Beat egg whites and yolks separately.
Dissolve baking soda in cold water, stir into sour milk.
Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients, stir well.
Fold in beaten eggs and melted butter.
Cook
Batter is now ready to fry.
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.
-
Wheat + milktop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,418 recipes
Shared aroma: (e,z)-2,6-nonadienal (cucumber, melon).
-
Milk + buttertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
-
Flour + wheattop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,373 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + buttertop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Wheat + buttertop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,002 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
Flour and butter barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 124,287 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
- Gives the griddle cakes a coarse, nutty texture and a brown, hearty crumb.
- Wheat flour
- Provides the gluten that gives the cakes body and structure.
- Sour milk
- Its acidity reacts with the baking soda so the batter rises and turns tender.
- Eggs
- Add structure, richness and lift when beaten and folded into the batter.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the acid in the sour milk to release gas, leavening the batter.
- Melted butter
- Adds fat for richness, tenderness and a softer crumb.
The step that matters
Dissolve baking soda in cold water, stir into sour milk. Baking soda must be fully dissolved and mixed with the acidic sour milk so it reacts evenly. Uneven distribution leaves bitter patches and uneven rising in the cakes.
“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.
You might also like
Wheat Muffins48 recipes
Whole Wheat Muffins12 recipes
White Cake431 recipes
Pound Cake373 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.