Why it works: Butter and bread are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 27,232 recipes. Both carry delta-decalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
Cheese Pudding
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a cool oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Warm the butter in a saucepan over low heat.
Mix in the milk, Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs.
Add the beaten eggs and salt, stirring until combined.
Bake and serve
Pour the mixture into a baking dish and bake for 30 minutes at 350°F (175°C).
Serve immediately.
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 + breadtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,232 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Butter + milktop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
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Butter + parmesan cheesetop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,163 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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Milk + breadtop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together11,466 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-undecenal (sweet).
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Bread + eggtop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together22,662 recipes
Shared aroma: (e)-2-octenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Bind the mixture and set it into a custardy, sliceable texture as they cook.
- Bread crumbs
- Provide the bulk and structure that soaks up the milk and egg.
- Milk
- Adds moisture and softens the bread crumbs so the mixture bakes tender.
- Parmesan cheese
- Adds savory flavor and salty depth, and browns on the surface as it bakes.
- Butter
- Adds richness and fat, carrying flavor and keeping the pudding tender.
The step that matters
Adding the beaten eggs. Eggs must be fully combined so they set evenly in the oven. Overbaking can cause the proteins to tighten and turn the pudding dry and grainy.
“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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