MY GINGERBREAD RECIPE
GINGERBREAD BASICS
Traditionally, gingerbread is made by combining butter and brown sugar and then adding thick molasses. Then you slowly add the dry ingredients of flour, ginger, and all the other spices and kneed it into the dough.
But there are several factors one must consider to make “architectural gingerbread” and it is typically the molasses that gets swapped out for other ingredients. The amount of butter will typically also get reduced so that there is a maximum 1:4 ratio of butter to flour.
Most recipes that are meant for eating will direct you to use butter - and trust me, I do love butter - but you can use vegetable shortening or margarine as a much cheaper substitute!
Molasses will create softer, denser, and darker gingerbread. Much better for eating, but more complex to use for architecture! It is possible to use molasses for architectural gingerbread - especially if you need to keep the gingerbread a little flexible for transportation purposes. But you’ll end up needing slightly thicker pieces and you’ll have to keep your oven running for many more hours in order to make it work!
Light corn syrup will create harder, more lightweight, and blonde gingerbread that won’t expand too much during the baking process.
If the color is a concern, dark corn syrup can be used - but just like with molasses the gingerbread will be more inclined to puff in the oven due to the pH and viscosity of those sweeteners. Some folks will stick with the Light Corn Syrup and add a little dark cocoa powder to get the classic dark brown look that molasses would normally achieve. You can also always change the color of the gingerbread dough by adding food coloring.
At one point I received three different recipes all from friends that I trusted, and felt I needed to try them all. In the end, my recipe is a slight combination of all three.
MY ARCHITECTURAL GINGERBREAD RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
Dry
6 cups All-Purpose Flour
4 teaspoons Ground Ginger
4 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
1 teaspoon All Spice
1/2 teaspoon Salt
Wet
1 1/2 cups Brown Sugar
3/4 cup Butter (Or Margarine)
1/2 cup Dark Molasses (unsulphered)
1/2 cup Light Corn Syrup
2 eggs
2 tablespoons of water
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine all dry ingredients in large bowl and set aside
Combine all wet ingredients being careful NOT to whip too much air into the mixture. If using an electric stand mixer use the paddle attachment. Start by combining the the brown sugar and butter, beat until smooth and creamy.
Mix in egg, molasses, light corn syrup and water on a higher speed. Scape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and mix again to combine.
On a low speed, slowly mix in the dry ingredients until combined.
Divide dough into round disks and wrap in plastic and place in the fridge for at least 2 hrs before rolling out.
Preheat oven to 350F and bake for 18-20 min or more for larger pieces and slightly less for smaller pieces.
GINGERBREAD TIPS & TRICKS
Make your Gingerbread Dough in Advance!
You can make the dough in advance! This has always been so important for me when making a massive amount of gingerbread. I can spend a whole afternoon making the dough and then a few days later I can spend another whole day rolling out and baking all my pieces.
I like to form my dough into discs, roughly 1-2 inches thick and 6-8 inches across so that its a bit easier to roll out later. Wrap them in plastic wrap to prevent the dough from drying out and let it rest in the fridge. I’ve found I gingerbread dough can last up to a week in the fridge before it starts to really dry out, and then you might need to a teaspoon of water or a pinch of shortening in order to revive the dough.
Preventing Gingerbread Expansion - Skip the leavening agents!
Some folks are very particular about their gingerbread shapes being extremely flat and perfectly square and preventing any kind of puffing/expansion during the baking process. If your recipe calls for baking soda or baking powder, just skip it. Leavening agents like baking powder/soda is great for fluffy cookies and cakes, but if you want your gingerbread to be hard and maintain their shape you don’t need them.
Preventing Gingerbread Expansion - Let your shapes rest in the fridge before placing them in the oven!
After you cut out your shapes and lay them on your baking sheets, put them in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes before sending them to the oven. They can be left longer in the fridge as well - but they will dry out over time - which may cause cracking if left in the fridge for too long.
Preventing Air Bubbles
Be very careful not to “whip” the butter/sugar when mixing the wet ingredients. You want to avoid excessive amounts of air in your mix - use a paddle extension on the lowest settings if you’re using an electric mixer. I actually learned this lesson the hard way and large bubbles would form on my pieces as they were baking until I figured out what was happening!
Using Sticky Sweeteners
Spray your measuring cup with cooking spray before measuring out your molasses or corn-syrup, this will prevent a sticky slow moving mess!
Rolling Pins with Adjustable Thickness Rings!
I wish I had known about rolling pins with adjustable thickness rings years ago, but if you’re struggling to create a uniform thickness to your dough, this type of tool can really help!
Use Parchment Paper!
The other thing is parchment paper - just go crazy with it! Laying down big pieces of parchment paper between your dough and the work surface and then again between your rolling pin and the dough helps prevent the dough from getting stuck to your work surface and tools. It should also make the transfer process to your baking sheet easier as well. You also won’t end up using as much “bench flour” if you use parchment paper, hopefully keeping your kitchen a little cleaner!
Dealing with Wet & Humid Environments
If you’re baking in a particularly wet environment, you may find that you have to bake your gingerbread twice - once to get it to set, and then after letting it cool, you put it back into the oven on a lower heat in order to “dry it out”