Why it works: Buttermilk and flour are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,721 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓
Corn Bread
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 batter
In a bowl, mix buttermilk and baking soda.
Add the egg, salt, melted lard, and flour; stir well.
Gradually stir in enough cornmeal to form a stiff batter.
Bake
Pour the batter into a well-greased pan.
Bake in a 400°F (200°C) oven until golden brown.
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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Buttermilk + flourtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,721 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Egg + flourtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Buttermilk + eggtop 25% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,986 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
Egg and flour barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 106,462 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
- Buttermilk
- Adds moisture and acidity that reacts with the baking soda to lift the batter.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the acidic buttermilk to produce gas that makes the cornbread rise.
- Egg
- Binds the batter and adds structure as it sets in the oven.
- Lard
- Adds fat for a tender crumb and helps the crust brown.
- Flour
- Provides structure that holds the cornmeal together as the bread sets.
- Cornmeal
- Forms the main body of the bread and gives it its characteristic grainy texture.
The step that matters
Gradually stir in enough cornmeal to form a stiff batter. Cornmeal absorbs liquid slowly, so adding it gradually lets you judge the batter's stiffness. Too much makes the bread dry and crumbly, while too little leaves it dense and gummy.
“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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