Gather ingredients: flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, salt, butter, brown sugar, molasses, egg, and water
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl
Cream butter and brown sugar in a separate bowl
Add molasses and egg to the butter mixture
Combine wet and dry ingredients to form dough
Chill the dough
Roll out the dough on a floured surface
Cut out gingerbread house pieces: walls, roof, and base
Bake the pieces until firm
Cool the pieces completely
Prepare royal icing for assembly
Pipe icing along the edges of the base and walls
Attach the walls and hold until set
Add icing to the roof edges and place roof pieces
Let the structure dry and harden
Decorate with icing, candy, and other edible decorations