Heat the oven to 350 °F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt together in a medium bowl.
Beat the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with a hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the molasses, then the egg, scraping the bowl once.
Add the dry ingredients in two additions and mix on low just until no flour streaks remain; the dough will be soft. If it feels warm from mixing, chill it for 15 minutes so the cookies hold their shape.
Roll 1 1/2-tablespoon portions into balls, roll each in the granulated sugar, and set them 2 inches apart on the sheets.
Bake 9-11 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still look slightly underdone, rotating the sheets halfway if you are using two racks.
Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move the cookies to a rack; they firm up as they cool.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
