Gingerbread House Dough

 

This is construction type gingerbread dough, although it has very good flavor, it is quite hard for the teeth.

Gingerbread Dough

32 ozs bread flour

2 tbsps cinnamon

2 tsps ginger

1 tsp cloves

1 tsp nutmeg

(if you want your gingerbread lighter in color, reduce spices)

1 tsp salt

9 ozs corn syrup

9 ozs molasses

(if you want it lighter, reduce molasses, increase corn syrup)

10 ozs brown sugar

10 ozs shortening

(if you are making cookies, you can substitute butter)

Combine corn syrup, molasses, brown sugar and shortening in a sauce pot, and warm just until the shortening is melted. Transfer warm liquid into a mixing bowl, and with a paddle, mix in dry ingredients. 

Mix until well blended. Pour dough into a parchment lined sheet pan or silpat. Cool for several minutes, sheet out to about ¼ inch thick, sometimes thicker, depending on your structure. Chill in the refrigerator overnight. (Tip: after cutting your templates, you can bake your pieces halfway, pull them out of the oven, re cut the pieces using the original templates. this is also a good technique for adding crushed hard candies for windows. This will insure that your sides are all even.