Ginger Gable

How to make a gingerbread house

Pick a size, print a template, roll the dough to one even thickness, cut six pieces around the paper, bake them, then stand the front and back, set the side walls between them and add the roof. The template for a 6 by 7 inch house is ready below.

Cut list

    Side walls are two dough thicknesses shorter than the depth, so they fit between the front and back.

    Make about 0

    Your six pieces

    The order matters

    The side walls sit between the front and back walls, so they are cut two dough thicknesses shorter than the house is deep. In this 7-inch-deep house at 1/4″ dough, each side wall is 6 1/2″. If you build it the other way round, with the side walls outside, the house ends up 1/2″ deeper than the roof expects.

    Recipes, baking times and icing vary; this page covers the sizes and the order the pieces go together.

    Step by step

    1. Pick a sizeChoose the width, depth and wall height. The page tells you how much dough to make: about 2 3/4 lb for this 6 × 7 house.
    2. Print the templatePrint on Letter paper at "Actual size" and check the 1-inch bar on each sheet.
    3. Roll and cutRoll the dough to the thickness you picked (1/4″ here), lay the paper pieces on it and cut around them. Cut a door or windows now.
    4. BakeBake the pieces as your recipe says, and trim them against the paper again while they are warm if they spread.
    5. Stand the front and backStand the two gable walls upright, facing each other, 6 1/2″ apart: the length of a side wall.
    6. Set the side wallsFit the two 6 1/2″ side walls between the front and back. The outside now measures 6 by 7 inches.
    7. Add the roofRest the two 8″ by 4 3/4″ roof panels on the side walls so they meet at the peak.

    Questions

    How much dough do I need?

    It depends on the size. This 6 × 7 house at 1/4″ takes about 2 3/4 lb (1,190 g), trimmings included. Change the size above and the amount updates.

    Can I make it from scratch without a template?

    Yes, by drawing the pieces yourself: the gable height, side walls and roof each come from a short calculation. The page on making your own template works through it.

    Which piece goes on first?

    The front and back walls stand first, then the side walls between them, then the roof.

    Print at "Actual size" on Letter paper and measure the 1-inch bar on each sheet before you cut. Pieces are plain walls and roof panels: cut doors and windows by hand.