Why it works: Milk and butter are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and 81,283 recipes mention both. Both carry (z)-4-heptenal, which smells biscuit, cream. The science ↓
Parker House Rolls
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a quick oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the sponge
Scald the milk.
Let the milk cool.
Stir in the lard until dissolved.
Beat in flour until the mixture is a stiff batter.
Dissolve the yeast in a little warm water.
Mix the yeast mixture into the batter until smooth.
Place the mixture in a warm spot to rise until it reaches the top of the container.
Make the dough
Add salt and sugar.
Sift in just enough flour to form a dough on a lightly floured surface.
Knead the dough gently.
Pound the dough for half an hour until smooth and light.
Let the dough rise in a warm place until very light, about four hours.
Shape and bake
Roll out the dough thin.
Spread with butter.
Fold one half over the other.
Let the rolls rise again for two and a half to three hours until very light.
Wet the top with a little milk.
Bake in a 400°F (200°C) oven.
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 aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
-
Milk + buttertop 7% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
-
Flour + buttertop 12% of all pairsAroma overlaplowMentioned together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Milk + flourtop 14% of all pairsAroma overlaplowMentioned together78,219 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + sugartop 15% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together92,116 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
-
Sugar + buttertop 17% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together98,233 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Flour and butter share little aroma chemistry, yet 124,287 recipes mention both: they likely 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
- Flour
- Forms the batter and dough structure that holds the rolls' shape and rise.
- Yeast
- Produces gas as it ferments, leavening the dough so the rolls become light.
- Milk
- Adds moisture and softness to the dough and gives the top a golden browning.
- Lard
- Adds fat that tenderizes the crumb and keeps the rolls soft.
- Sugar
- Feeds the yeast and adds a touch of sweetness and browning.
The step that matters
Pound the dough for half an hour until smooth and light. Kneading develops gluten, which traps the gas yeast produces. Working the dough until smooth and elastic gives the rolls an even, light structure instead of a dense or uneven crumb.
“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
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Brown Bread461 recipes
Mutton Broth292 recipes
Yorkshire Pudding264 recipesThe Sunday pairing: one pairing, the chemistry behind it, and how to cook it. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account for sign-in; Pro adds the full results and chemistry.