Gingerbread is such a fantastic flavor, and these cookies are no exception. They pack the perfect amount of heat and complex flavor from the spices without being overwhelming. There isn’t too much sugar so they can still be iced without being overindulgent. And they can be either soft and chewy or crisp and crunch depending on how you like them. You won’t be disappointed with these sourdough gingerbread men!
I didn’t grow up with gingerbread as a common Christmas cookie. When the seasons would change, the air would get colder, and holiday music started to play, we would pull out recipes like sugar cookies, eagle brand bars, and peanut butter kiss cookies. But gingerbread was something only used for building houses. Fast forward years later: I was married and working in a bakery in Franklin TN. They used a different recipe for the gingerbread houses they sold and the gingerbread men. One was stiff, baked off thick and hard, all to support the structure of house. The other was still a lovely crunchy cookie, but it was sweeter, lighter, and all together a much better cookie. I really started to enjoy the flavors of gingerbread that year.
After that I tried several gingerbread cookie recipes over the years but never found one I really loved. Then I decided I should just make my own. So of course, I added sourdough and went to work. The first try was great, but with a bit of tweaking and the addition of some more spice, I really do think I have come up with the best gingerbread cookie recipe. We all loved them, and this will be a cherished family recipe for years to come.
Sourdough in cookies?
Other than one very bad thumbprint cookie recipe, I had never added sourdough to cookies. It just seemed TOO far out there. But we all know that there are so many health benefits to sourdough and that the fermentation time makes it easier for us to digest the flour. So, I figured, why not? The tang of the starter adds a deeper richness but doesn’t make them sour in the slightest. And that extra level of flavor just makes them so much better. I truly believe that any recipe that has sourdough tastes better with at least a little bit of sourdough. I even put sourdough in my donuts!
If you are curious about starting your own starter or know someone who has been eager to perfect their loaves of bread, you should check out “The Art of Sourdough“. It is an e-book I wrote a while back that has recipes, FAQs, the tips on how to start and care for a starter, and ways to do it all without getting overwhelmed.
Keys for success
Use softened butter. When the butter is cold it takes a long time to fully cream together with the sugar. We want a light and fluffy texture, and this is hard to achieve with cold butter. The addition of air makes for a better textured cookie and reduces the chance of clumps of sugar in the cookies which can make a mess while baking.
Do not over mix. Wheat flour naturally contains gluten. When flour is mixed with a liquid and mixed, it develops this gluten which turns into strands. This is great for things like bread where you want that chewy structured texture. however, in a cookie you want it to fall apart in your mouth and be tender. When flour is added to cookie dough it should be mixed until just combined. If it is overmixed, it will result in a tough cookie with an odd texture.
Wait until fully cool to ice. There are so many lovely icing recipes that pair perfectly with the sweet and spicy flavors of gingerbread. However, if you try icing them when warm, the icing will melt or run off the cookie and ruin all the hard work put into the decorations.
Chill the dough. The dough is a little softer and stickier due to the addition of molasses. Allowing the dough to fully chill before rolling them out will yield the best results. And don’t be afraid to use flour to dust the counter and rolling pin.
Tools
Stand mixer – You can make these by hand, or with a hand mixer. However, getting the butter light and fluffy will make the best cookies and a stand mixer is the easiest way I have found to quickly achieve this.
Sheet trays – These are stainless steel!
Cookie cutters – We also made some mini houses with this dough!
Rolling pin
Bench scraper – This tool is invaluable in my kitchen. It makes cleaning the flour off the counter such a breeze.
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Ingredients
Flour: I use organic, unbleached, all-purpose flour
Ginger: You can’t have gingerbread men without ginger! Use dried powder and not crystalized.
Cinnamon: Use high quality powder to get the best flavor.
Cloves: This adds a depth of flavor and is a warm cozy spice that pairs well with ginger.
Nutmeg: Just a little bit of this spice is needed. If you can use freshly ground nutmeg, do it! The flavor is so much better. If you cannot, that’s ok, ground will still taste great.
Baking soda: Even though there is sourdough in the recipe, that is not what is providing the puff these cookies have. The baking soda is actually the leavening agent in this recipe.
Salt: I add salt to everything because it enhances all the other flavors in the recipe. Sea salt is my go-to, and this brand is my favorite high mineral salt.
Butter: I personally am ok with using salted butter, but unsalted also works fine.
Brown sugar: The richness and molasses flavor that brown sugar brings is so much better than just regular white sugar. It also reduces the amount of actually molasses which is ideal, so they do not become to sticky.
Molasses: A rich, flavor that is reminiscent of the holidays. It adds color, richness, and moisture to the dough.
Egg: This works as a binding agent.
Sourdough discard: Since we do not need the active yeasts to get this recipe to rise, it is a great way to use up some discard.
Let’s get to baking!
In a bowl, add flour, spices, baking soda, and salt. Combine well and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in softened butter, brown sugar, and molasses. Beat until very light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and mix again.
Add in the egg and mis until fully combined.
Scrape down the bowl again then add in the sourdough discard. Mix well.
Divide the dry mixture into three parts. Add one at a time, mixing until just combined before adding int he next part.
Portion the dough into two or three balls. Flatten each into a disc and wrap them before placing them in the fridge. I like to wrap my dough with parchment, then use that same parchment to line my baking sheets. You can also use beeswax wraps. I do try to avoid plastic wrap whenever possible because of all the toxins found in single use plastic.
Chill the dough for at least an hour. For a long ferment recipe keep the dough in the fridge for 24 hours and up to five days.
Shaping the cookies
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Dust the countertop with flour and roll out a disk of dough to 1/4 inch thick. Do one disk at a time, leaving the others in the fridge to stay cool.
Cut the desired shapes and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet, leaving about an inch between the cookies.
To keep from overworking your dough, set aside any scraps from the first disk and roll out the second one and cut shapes from that as well. Set aside the scraps and repeat with the last disk of dough.
Then combine all the scraps into a ball and re-roll them.
Continue to cut new shapes and re-roll all the dough until there is none left.
Bake for 10 minutes and rotate the pan. Bake for another two minutes for a softer cookie. If a crunchier cookie is desired bake for up to six more minutes after rotating the pan. This time will vary based on the thickness of the dough and the oven being used.
The cookies will puff up when baked but deflate as they cool.
Allow the cookies to fully cool before decorating them.
Store cookies covered at room temperature for up to five days.
Enjoy!
Long ferment sourdough gingerbread men
To long ferment this recipe, simply keep the dough in the fridge for at least 24 hours. It can be kept in the fridge for up to a week and will still bake off fine. There will only be a few minor differences between the quick bake and long ferment cookies. One is the tang might be a little bit stronger depending on the strength of the starter you use. The other is they may not rise quite as much after, but this will be very minimal.
Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies
These cookies are filled with rich spices and molasses, which makes them to perfect treat to enjoy all winter long. They are not overly sweet and can be baked soft or crispy. Just make some eyes and a smile with royal icing and they couldn't be more perfect.
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cup All purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp. Ginger
- 2 tsp. Cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp. Cloves
- 3/4 tsp. Nutmeg
- 1 tsp. Baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 3/4 cup Butter (1 1/2 sticks)
- 3/4 cup Brown sugar
- 1/2 cup Molasses
- 1 Egg
- 1/2 cup Sourdough discard
Instructions
- In a bowl add flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Mix until fully combined and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer add softened butter, brown sugar, and molasses. Beat until light and fluffy.
- Add in the egg and mix until combined. Scrape down the bowl and add in the sourdough discard.
- Divide the dry mixture into three parts. Add one at a time, mixing after each addition.
- Portion the dough into two or three balls and flatten them. Wrap each part in plastic wrap, parchment paper, or a bees wax wrap.
- Chill the dough for at least an hour or overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Dust the countertop with flour and roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick. Do one disk of dough at a time, leaving the others in the fridge to stay firm.
- Cut out the desired shapes and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet leaving about an inch between each cookie.
- Set all scraps aside and roll the next disk, setting those scraps aside as well. Combine the scraps from all the disks and form them into a ball. Roll the dough and cut more shapes.
- Bake for 10 minutes and rotate the pan. Bake for an additional 2 minutes for a softer cookie and up to six more for a crunchier cookie. This time will vary slightly based on the oven and thickness of the cookies.
- Allow to fully cool before decorating.
- Store cookies covered at room temperature for up to five days.
- Enjoy!
Notes
These cookies will puff up a bit while baking. They do deflate to a normal cookie shape while cooling.
These cookies are perfect for gingerbread men, but I would choose a stiffer dough if trying to construct a large house. They do work really well for mini houses though!
Icing:
To make a simple royal icing, combine 4 cups of powdered sugar, 2 egg whites, and wither 1 tsp of vanilla or 1 tsp of lemon juice. Mix with a whisk attachment on low speed for about three minutes. Add water a few drops at a time to acheive different consistancies. It will quickly harden at room temperature. To store unused icing, cover and store in the fridge for up to a week. Transfer to a piping bag for details and use thicker icing with a spatula as well.
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Thank you so much for trying out this recipe! Please leave a comment and share it with your friends and family. Be sure to check out some of the other sourdough recipes here as well!
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