Large Gingerbread House Template

Large house pieces and measurements

The Large preset is 9 in22.9 cm wide, 7 in17.8 cm deep and has 6 in15.2 cm walls, rolled 7 mm thick. It prints on 9 Letter sheets or 10 A4 sheets and takes about 6.3 lb (2.9 kg)2.9 kg (6.3 lb) of dough. The XL preset, 12 in30.5 cm wide with 8 mm walls, needs about 12.6 lb (5.7 kg)5.7 kg (12.6 lb).

The inner brace has the same outline as the front wall, minus the thickness of the side walls on each side, and its sloped edges rise to meet the underside of the roof. A wide arch in the middle saves dough and lets light through.

Printing a large template on several sheets

Pieces bigger than a sheet of paper are split into parts. Each part says which piece it belongs to, for example "Front wall – part 1 of 2", and the parts overlap by 10 mm.

1. Print at 100% and check the 2 in (5 cm) line on one sheet before printing the rest.
2. Trim one sheet along the edge of its gray strip, lay it over the next sheet's strip and slide it until the + marks with the same letter sit on top of each other.
3. Tape the sheets together and cut the piece out as one pattern.
4. Lay the pattern on dough rolled on parchment and cut there, so a big piece never has to be lifted: slide it onto the baking sheet on its parchment.

How to assemble a large gingerbread house

Large pieces need more time at every stage. Bake extra-large pieces at 300°F for an extra 15 to 20 minutes, let them rest uncovered overnight, and give the icing a night to dry before you decorate.

1. Print the template at 100% (Actual size) and check that the line on each sheet measures exactly 2 in. Cut out the paper pieces.
2. Roll the dough on parchment to 7 mm (about 1/4 in). Lay the patterns on it, cut around them and pull the extra dough away rather than moving the pieces, so they keep their shape.
3. Cut out the windows and the door. Chill the cut pieces on the baking sheet before baking so they spread less.
4. Bake until the pieces are firm. While they are still warm, lay each pattern back on top and trim the edges with a sharp knife. Let the pieces cool completely on a flat surface.
5. Make royal icing with meringue powder or pasteurized egg whites and beat it to stiff peaks. Frosting is too soft to hold up walls.
6. Pipe icing along the bottom and side edges of the front wall and one side wall. Stand them on the board at a right angle, with the end of the side wall tucked behind the front wall. Prop them with cans or jars.
7. Add the second side wall, then the back wall. The side walls fit between the front and back walls, so the house measures exactly 9 in by 7 in on the outside.
8. Stand the inner brace across the middle of the house, between the side walls. Its sloped edges hold up the middle of the roof.
9. Let the walls set for at least 30 minutes, an hour if you can, before the roof goes on.
10. Pipe icing on the sloped edges of the front and back walls and the tops of the side walls. Press on one roof panel, then the other, and hold them in place for a minute. The panels meet at their bottom edges, so fill the small V-shaped gap along the ridge with icing.
11. Put the chimney together as a box on the work surface: the front and back pieces outside, the short side between them on the uphill end. When it has set, ice it onto the right side of the roof. The slanted bottom edges match the roof pitch.
12. Ice the door to one side of the opening so it stands slightly open.
13. Let the house dry for a few hours or overnight before you decorate.

What you'll need

Dough thickness for big walls

The Large preset rolls the dough 7 mm thick and XL 8 mm, a bit over 1/4 inch. Walls are strongest at 1/4 inch or more, and it helps to roll the walls slightly thicker than the roof.

Even thickness matters as much as the number. The template is cut for one thickness, so a wall rolled thicker at one end will not meet its neighbor cleanly. Rolling guides or a pin with thickness rings help, and if you change the thickness, change it in the template too.

Inner brace and drying time

A big roof panel is heavy and the long side walls can bow under it. The inner brace is a wall across the middle of the house: it stands between the side walls and its top edges sit right under the roof. Ice it in after the four outer walls and before the roof. On Large and XL it is on by default; you can add it to any size.

Bake big pieces until they are firm all the way through. Underbaked pieces can warp and bring the house down, which costs more on a big house.

FAQ