How to make Traditional Gingerbread

The history behind gingerbread

Traditional gingerbread as we know it is mostly a Christmas thing that maybe makes us think of the German Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas market) OR just stale store-bought kits that we ‘glue’ together with chemical-laden icing. Surprising or not, gingerbread actually has its origins in the ancient world.

Honey cakes with ginger and spices that are associated with gingerbread have been found in ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece dating back over 1000 years B.C. As can be assumed, these ‘gingerbreads’ were similar but not the same as the traditional gingerbreads we imagine today as decking the holidays with their flavor and beauty.

Gingerbread gained popularity in the Mediaeval Era–especially in the German-speaking lands. Notable places included Nürnberg in Franconia and Thorn under rule of the Teutonic Knights. Traditionally, gingerbread production was associated to any area that had a strong beekeeping presence. Originally, mediaeval gingerbread was simply honey mixed with breadcrumbs and spices. Its production was often the work of the monastic orders and specialized “gingerbread guilds.”

Spices used were ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, mace, cloves and pepper. These exotic spices, brought in from the Far East, held a special place of fascination in the medieval mind. After all, it was the pursuit of these spices that fueled the Age of Exploration in the 15th century.

Honey was the original, native sweetener. However sugar became steadily more available over the centuries.

Treat or Medicine?

Gingerbread-like cookies were also prescribed to improve digestion. These were known in German as Magenbrot (or stomach-bread). Swedish nuns in the 15th century of the Brigittine Order are credited of having made the these cookies (known as pepparkakor) that are still beloved by people of Swedish descent today.

How many kinds of gingerbread are there?!?

The sky’s the limit it seems when it comes to gingerbread! You can make gingerbread bread, cakes, cookies, lattes… the list goes on. The flavors and spices of gingerbread also vary according to the tradition of the region, country, type of bake, etc. For example, in some places traditional gingerbread is just flour, spices, and honey. In others it includes eggs, molasses, and others. So really, you can find a recipe with just about any combination of these things to make a delicious bake that will impress hopefully your palate and your family and friends.

This year, in our home, we baked three different kinds of gingerbread. We tweaked a couple recipes due to my poor planning of ingredients on hand but overall they turned out delicious. I really wanted to make the classic ‘traditional Lebkuchen’. This is the German cookie type. They turned out as pictured in the photo above. You can find the recipe from the blog Clara Quick Dinners here.

Another type we made was a loaf gingerbread. This was made with fresh ginger which, in my opinion, makes a HUGE difference in the flavor… in a good way. Our family ate this loaf in one sitting! We enjoyed it as fika (Swedish coffee break) on Christmas Eve. The recipe is from the blog Rhubarbarians it linked here.

Now, get ready for yet another DELICIOUS recipe on…

How to make Traditional Gingerbread

In this recipe we will be using:

• eggs
• butter- melted
• molasses
• 1/2 c freshly grated ginger
• 2 c freshly milled flour
• baking soda
• baking powder
• cloves
• cinnamon
• coconut sugar
• zest of one orange
• zest of one lemon

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Grate the ginger. For this step there are multiple ways to do it. You could use a food processor (I did), grate it by hand, or use a sharp knife to chop it into super fine pieces. Like you would mince garlic.

Step 2

Whisk eggs, zest of lemon and orange, grated ginger, butter, molasses, and sugar until slightly fluffy. If you have a handheld mixer or a stand mixer your eggs will get much more fluffy, allowing for more of a rise on your finished bread. I just used a whisk.

Step 3

In a separate bowl mix together all spices, milled flour, baking powder and soda. Once combined, dump into the wet mixture. When cooking with different flours it can result in different consistency. If you’re not using freshly milled flour I would use whole wheat. The dough should be stiff enough to hold its shape but not so stiff that it’s hard to stir. If your dough is too wet you can add a little more flour, if it’s too dry you can add a Tbl. of milk.

Step 4

Pour into a greased (butter, lard, coconut oil are best) 9×9 pan. Bake at 350 F for about 25 min. Poke the center and bake for a little longer if needed in 2-3 min. intervals.

Gingerbread is best enjoyed with a cup of coffee, tea, or mulled wine!