Whisk 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon ground ginger, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, and ½ teaspoon baking soda together in a medium bowl.

Beat 1 ½ sticks room-temperature unsalted butter, ¾ cup packed brown sugar, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt together in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed until fluffy and lightened in color, about 2 minutes.

Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add ¾ cup molasses, 1 room-temperature large egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds. The butter may appear to separate, but it will come together as you add the flour and continue mixing.

Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl again. Add the flour mixture, then mix on low speed until just incorporated, about 1 minute. The dough should be thick and tacky.

Divide the dough into 2 portions (about 16 ounces each). Shape each portion into a 1-inch-thick rectangle. Wrap each rectangle in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm but pliable, at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

About 30 minutes before the dough is ready, arrange 2 racks to divide the oven into thirds and heat the oven to 350ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Unwrap one portion of the dough and dust lightly with all-purpose flour. Sandwich between two sheets of parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to roll out to ¼-inch thick. Use a gingerbread-shaped cookie cutter to cut out as many gingerbread people as possible.

Using a flat spatula, transfer them to the baking sheet, leaving a little space between each one (they will not spread). Repeat rolling and cutting the second portion of dough until the baking sheets are filled.

Bake for 4 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets between racks and from front to back. Bake until the edges appear dry and are slightly darker brown than the rest of the cookie, 4 to 5 minutes more. Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then use a flat spatula to transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely before decorating with royal icing if desired.

Meanwhile, gather the dough scraps together, re-wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes before rolling out the next batch and baking. Let the baking sheets cool completely between batches, but you can reuse the parchment paper. The dough scraps can be re-rolled up to 3 times before any remaining dough should be discarded because the cookies will be tough.