Gingerbread Scented Salt Dough Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long do gingerbread salt dough ornaments last? ›

Salt dough is very simple to make, basically just flour, salt and water, and when you bake it it becomes very hard and will last forever if you keep it dry and clean.

The salt dough recipe

You want a ratio of one part salt and two parts flour. For making just a few little salt dough creations with your kids, one cup salt and two cups flour should be enough. If you want to prepare more, just increase the number of cups proportionally.

If you want to make scented ornaments, add some essential oil to your dough. I added 5 drops of Lavender oil. You may want to use gloves if you are mixing with your hands since some oils can be irritating to the skin, if undiluted.

Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Add water, a few tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition. Knead dough for 10 minutes. Wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.

Mod Podge.

It's important to seal your ornaments once they're dried, so that they don't absorb moisture from the air. Use Mod Podge (in matte) to seal the dough and give them a more finished look.

Baking Salt Dough Ornaments

They are done when they are completely hard. If they start to brown then they are well done – and that's okay! Once completely hard take them out of the oven and let them cool completly.

It's not that the dough “goes bad”. The ingredients can be stored for a long time. But depending on the recipe, some doughs dry out too much to be used. Most cookie doughs can be frozen.

The great thing about it is that the salt dough sculptures will harden if you leave them out to dry at room temperature. Depending on the size of the pieces, it will take 2 to 7 days to dry completely. Turn the pieces from time to time for faster drying. Oven dry the salt dough pieces.

If the percentage of salt added to a dough becomes too high, excessive dehydration will eventually kill the yeast and bacteria. Most scientists believe that at 2% of the flour weight or less, salt alone does not significantly alter either the yeast's gassing power or the bacteria's acid production.

Can you overcook salt dough? ›

If you overcook them, they tend to bubble up. As everyone's dough will be mixed differently and microwaves have different levels of power, please keep an eye on your creations when they are cooking. Take them out to check their dryness – CAREFUL - THEY WILL BE HOT!

Before baking the ornaments, press rubber stamps into the dough with holiday greetings, the year or even the names of loved ones. If you like to pay attention to every little detail, a fine-point marker is the perfect tool for the job (we like to use Sharpie Fine Point Permanent Markers).

Mix together flour and salt in a bowl. Stir in water and drops of essential oil - combine until smooth. Use some extra flour to lightly dust countertop. Roll out dough until it's around ¼ inch thick.

Dough that is too thin may crack around the edges and dough that is too thick will definitely bubble.

If you're looking for fun Christmas crafts this year, making salt dough gingerbread houses or Christmas decorations is a great idea. This is the perfect craft to get the look of gingerbread but still be able to enjoy it next year. Our salt dough creations look and smell amazing with the addition of cinnamon.

Mix 2 cups of flour with 1/2 cup of salt. Then stir in 3/4 cup of warm water. The dough will require kneading to come together like a dense cookie dough. If you'd like to color your houses, then mix in acrylic paint as you make your dough.