Steamed Graham Bread

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.

1. Wheat + milktop 6% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together2,418 recipes

   Shared aroma: (e,z)-2,6-nonadienal (cucumber, melon).

2. Flour + wheattop 12% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together4,373 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

3. Flour + milktop 14% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together78,219 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

4. Flour + molassestop 16% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together10,429 recipes

   Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).

5. Molasses + milktop 21% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together7,243 recipes

   Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).

Flour and milk barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 78,219 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

Forms the main structure and gives the bread its coarse, hearty texture.

Wheat flour

Adds gluten-forming protein that helps hold the batter together.

Baking soda

Reacts with the acid in sour milk to produce gas that raises the bread.

Sour milk

Supplies acidity that activates the baking soda and adds moisture.

Molasses

Adds sweetness, moisture, and a deep brown color to the bread.

The step that matters