Gingerbread Calculator

A classic gingerbread uses roughly equal parts butter and sugar (by weight), with flour at about twice the sugar weight. Golden syrup binds everything together and adds chewiness. The standard recipe is 350g flour, 175g butter, 175g sugar, 1 egg, and 4 tablespoons of golden syrup.

For biscuits that are crispy but not too hard, roll to about 4-5mm. For decoration gingerbread (like gingerbread houses), roll to 5-6mm for sturdier pieces. For thin, snappy gingerbread, roll to 3mm. Use rolling guides or spacers for even thickness.

Yes, always chill gingerbread dough for at least 30 minutes (ideally 1-2 hours) before rolling. This makes it much easier to handle and cut clean shapes. If the dough softens while cutting, pop it back in the fridge for 10 minutes.

For softer gingerbread, reduce the baking time slightly (check at 8 minutes), increase the golden syrup by 1-2 tablespoons, and store the cooled biscuits in an airtight tin with a slice of bread — the moisture from the bread softens them over 1-2 days.

The essential spice is ground ginger (2 teaspoons per standard batch). Common additions include ground cinnamon (1 teaspoon), mixed spice or allspice (half teaspoon), ground cloves (quarter teaspoon), and ground nutmeg (quarter teaspoon). Adjust to your taste.

Undecorated gingerbread biscuits keep for up to 2 weeks in an airtight tin. Iced gingerbread keeps for about a week. Unbaked dough can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months — defrost in the fridge overnight before rolling.