Gingerbread is a classic Christmas treat that has been around for centuries. It is a delicious and aromatic mix of flour, sugar, spices, and molasses that is perfect for baking and decorating festive cookies and houses. However, one of the problems that many bakers encounter when making gingerbread is that the dough tends to get very sticky, making it difficult to handle and shape.
Gingerbread dough gets sticky for one of the following reasons:
- It contains molasses which is sticky and makes the dough difficult to handle
- The type of flour used and its protein content
- The temperature of the dough
- Ambient humidity
- How you mix the dough
Gingerbread is a classic Christmas treat that has been around for centuries. It is a delicious and aromatic mix of flour, sugar, spices, and molasses that is perfect for baking and decorating festive cookies and houses. However, one of the problems that many bakers encounter when making gingerbread is that the dough tends to get very sticky, making it difficult to handle and shape.
Any one of the above will cause your gingerbread dough to get sticky.
In this post, we will explore these reasons why gingerbread dough gets sticky and what you can do to prevent it.
The Sticky Ingredient That Is Molasses
Firstly, gingerbread dough gets sticky because it contains molasses. Molasses is a byproduct of the sugar refining process and is often used in gingerbread recipes to give the dough its rich brown color and distinct flavor. Molasses, however, is also very sticky and can make the dough more difficult to handle.
The amount of molasses used in the recipe can also affect the stickiness of the dough. Generally, the more molasses you add, the stickier the dough will be. To prevent your gingerbread dough from becoming too sticky, you can reduce the amount of molasses in the recipe or use lighter molasses that is less sticky.
The main thing to keep in mind is to follow the recipe you’re using as closely, if not exactly, as possible. Veering off track, and eye balling, rather than measuring your ingredients, particularly molasses, will most certainly guarantee you a less than perfect and very likely sticky dough.
Choose the Right Flour
Bringing us to another reason why gingerbread dough gets sticky is because of the type of flour used. When making gingerbread, it is important to use high-quality flour that has a low protein content. Flour with higher protein content (between 12 – 14%), such as bread flour or all-purpose flour, will create a tighter gluten structure, which can make the dough more elastic and therefore more difficult to work with. Low-protein flour (between 5 – 8%), however, such as cake flour, will produce a softer, more tender dough that is less likely to become sticky.
Taking note of the ingredients, whether their quality, freshness or in the case of flour, its protein content is important when baking and maintaining the integrity of the recipe you’re using. If you find that your gingerbread dough is too sticky, try using a lower protein flour in your recipe.Simply check the label of your flour before using it in your recipe.
Dough Temperature
The temperature of the dough can also affect its stickiness. If the dough is too warm, it will become more sticky and difficult to handle. This is because the warm temperature causes the butter or shortening in the dough to melt and become more liquid. When this happens, the dough will absorb more moisture from the atmosphere, making it stickier. (Oh, and don’t forget, molasses is all up in this too, enhancing the overall stickiness of the situation)
To prevent your gingerbread dough from becoming too sticky, you should try to keep it as cool as possible. One way you can try to do this is by refrigerating the dough before working with it and by working quickly to avoid excessive handling.
Ambient Humidity
In addition to the inherent stickiness of molasses, the protein content of the flour and the dough temperature, the humidity in your kitchen can also affect the stickiness of your gingerbread dough.
In a humid environment, the dough will absorb more moisture from the air, which can make it sticky and difficult to work with. If you live in a humid area, you may need to adjust your recipe by using less liquid or adding small increments of flour to compensate for the extra moisture in the air. You can also try working in an air-conditioned room or using a dehumidifier to reduce the humidity in your kitchen.
Mixing Method
Finally, last but not least, the method you use to mix and handle the dough can also affect its stickiness. Over-mixing the dough can make it more elastic and sticky, while under-mixing can result in a crumbly, dry dough.
To achieve the perfect consistency, you should mix the ingredients just until they are combined and then stop.
You should also handle the dough as little as possible to avoid excessive warming and stickiness. Over working the dough, whether by hand or mixing stand, generates heat in and of itself, therefore mixing only until the ingredients are well combined and not beyond ensures you don’t overmix your gingerbread dough thereby making it sticky and difficult to handle..
The Upshot
In conclusion, there are several reasons why gingerbread dough gets sticky, including the use of molasses, the type of flour, the temperature, the humidity, and the method of mixing and handling.
To prevent your gingerbread dough from becoming too sticky, you can:
- Adjust your recipe
- Add ingredients slowly to ensure you don’t add too much of something (i.e., molasses)
- Use a lower protein flour
- Keep the dough cool
- Work quickly
- Pay attention to the humidity in your kitchen
With these tips in mind, you can confidently create delicious and perfectly shaped gingerbread cookies and houses that will impress your friends and family during the holiday season, or any time you’re craving gingerbread – even in the middle of the summe!.