Why it works: Butter and flour are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 12% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 124,287 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Pie-crust
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a hot oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the dough
In a bowl, cream together the butter (or suet) and salt.
Add brown sugar and mix well.
In a separate bowl, combine flour with the creamed mixture until it resembles sand.
Add the egg yolk, brandy, and ice water, mixing lightly.
Knead the dough as little as possible and roll it out thin.
If necessary, use minimal flour to prevent sticking.
Bake and serve
Grease the pie plates well before placing the crust in them.
Bake in a hot oven at 400°F (200°C).
Remove pies while hot to the serving plates.
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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Butter + flourtop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Sugar + flourtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together92,116 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
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Butter + brandytop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,127 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
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Flour + eggtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Butter + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
Butter and flour 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
- Butter or suet
- Creates flaky layers and tenderness by staying solid until the crust bakes.
- All-purpose flour
- Forms the structure of the crust once it is mixed with liquid and baked.
- Egg yolk
- Adds richness and helps bind the dough together.
- Ice water
- Keeps the fat cold and limits gluten development for a tender crust.
- Brandy
- Adds moisture and aroma while evaporating during baking, leaving a tender crust.
The step that matters
Knead the dough as little as possible. Overworking flour develops gluten, which makes the crust tough and dense instead of tender. Light handling and minimal extra flour keep it short and flaky.
“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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