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A close shot of the holly plate filled with gingerbread cookies in different holiday shapes. The texture of the cookies shows soft crumb and smooth edges, and the white icing outlines add a simple, classic finish.
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5 from 1 vote

Soft Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies | Discard or Starter

These soft sourdough gingerbread cookies blend ginger, cinnamon, and molasses in a dough that firms nicely in the fridge and rolls out smoothly. They bake soft with warm gingerbread flavor and make a great Christmas cookie for winter baking and cozy holiday treats.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time11 minutes
Chilling The Dough2 hours
Total Time2 hours 36 minutes
Course: Cookies, Dessert, Sourdough
Cuisine: American
Servings: 24
Calories: 155kcal
Author: Emily Rider

Equipment

  • 1 Large mixing bowl
  • 1 Medium Mixing Bowl
  • 1 Whisk
  • 1 Baking sheet
  • 1 Parchemtn Paper

Ingredients

  • 3 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour (440g)
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda (5g)
  • ½ teaspoon Salt (3g)
  • 1 tablespoon Ground Ginger (6g)
  • 1 tablespoon Ground Cinnamon (6g)
  • ½ teaspoon Allspice (1g)
  • ½ teaspoon Ground Cloves (1g)
  • 6 tablespoons Softened Butter (85g)
  • ¾ cup Packed Light Or Dark Brown Sugar (150g)
  • ⅔ cup Unsulfured Molasses (200g)
  • 1 Large Egg (50g)
  • 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract (13g)
  • ½ cup Sourdough Starter Or Discard (120g)

Instructions

  • Cream the butter and sugars: Beat the softened butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until the mixture turns paler and lightly aerated. Mix in the egg until it blends smoothly, then stir in the sourdough starter, molasses, and vanilla until the mixture looks uniform.
  • Whisk the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves until the spices are evenly distributed.
  • Combine the mixtures: Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir until a cohesive dough forms. The dough will be tacky at this stage, which is expected before chilling.
  • Chill the dough: Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours or overnight. Chilling firms the butter and gives the flour time to hydrate, which helps the cookies keep their shape.
  • Portion or roll: For drop cookies, scoop even portions and roll the tops in coarse sugar. For cut-out cookies, lightly flour your counter and roll the dough to about ¼ inch thick before cutting your shapes.
  • Bake the cookies: Transfer the shaped dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F (177°C) for 9–11 minutes. The edges should look set while the centers remain soft.
  • Cool and finish: Let the cookies rest on the sheet pan for 5 minutes, then move them to a cooling rack. Once fully cooled, add royal icing if desired.

Notes

Chilling the dough: An overnight chill deepens the gingerbread flavor and firms the dough so it rolls and cuts cleanly without sticking.
Rolling the dough: Work on a lightly floured surface and dust your rolling pin as needed. Add only a small amount of extra flour so the dough stays soft and doesn’t dry out.
Baking evenly: Rotate the baking sheet halfway through the bake if your oven has hot spots. This helps the cookies brown evenly and keeps the texture consistent.
Bake time guide: Pull the cookies at 9 minutes for a very soft center, or bake up to 12 minutes for a firmer texture. Gingerbread continues to set as it cools, so bake according to how soft you want them.
Decorating: Let the cookies cool fully before adding royal icing. Even slight warmth will cause the icing to melt or slide.

Nutrition

Serving: 140G | Calories: 155kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 125mg | Potassium: 175mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 99IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg