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Large serving spoon holding stuffing

Herbed Sourdough Stuffing

This classic Thanksgiving favorite is full of buttery bread cubes, fresh herbs, and a hint of lemon to keep it bright and fresh.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings8
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Ingredients

  • 12 cups fresh bread cubes about 1lb
  • ¼ cup fresh minced parsley
  • 8 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dry rubbed sage
  • ½ teaspoon ground thyme
  • ¼ teaspoon marjoram okay to omit if you don't have any!
  • 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh rosemary
  • 1½ cup chicken broth divided, more as needed
  • 1 large lemon
  • 1 egg optional (okay to leave out if needed, see note)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375℉
  • Butter a 2 ½-3 quart baking dish. (I take a pat of butter and with clean hands rub a thin layer of butter around the dish and up the sides). This is equivalent to about a 9x9 dish. You can bake this in a 9x13 as well (I've done that here in these photos since I know that's what many people have). It will be a thinner layer of stuffing. You can easily 1.5x the recipe in a 9x13 and even double if you like your stuffing thicker or need to serve more. Keep in mind it might extend the baking time by just a bit.
  • Dry out or toast your bread cubes. Cut bread into cubes (about ½"-1"). You can carefully cut off crusts if you prefer, for softer loaves I just leave them on.
    Lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet. You can cover lightly with a towel for 2-3 days, or toast them in the oven when you make the recipe. To toast in the oven bake at 350 for about 10 minutes, stir, and then bake another 10 minutes (longer if needed) until they are toasted a little crisp on the outside. they don't need to be completely crunchy like croutons- this is a bit of personal preference! I like them to be crunchy on the outside but a bit soft in the very center. When finished and slightly cooled place bread cubes in a very large mixing bowl.
  • Add chopped parsley to bowl with bread cubes.
  • Heat a large saute pan to medium-low heat. Melt butter and then add celery and onion. Saute until tender, about 6-7 minutes. add garlic, salt, pepper, sage, thyme, marjoram, and rosemary. Saute for about 30 seconds.
  • Carefully pour the buttery celery and onion mixture over the bread cubes and toss well so everything is well coated.
  • Whisk together just 1 cup of the broth with egg. You'll be pouring this on your bread mixture, so it's helpful to mix in a glass measuring cup with a spout, if you have one.
  • Juice lemon and add 3 tablespoons lemon juice to broth mixture. (If you love lemon, you can optionally add about 2 teaspoons zest as well!)
  • Gently drizzle the broth mixture evenly over bread, tossing as you go to evenly distribute.
  • From here, you can add more broth to desired consistency. I usually add up to about 1/2 cup more. It depends on how toasted your bread was and what kind of bread, and your personal preference etc. If you omitted the egg and/or lemon juice you will need more liquid as well. Stuffing should be moistened, but not soggy.
  • Bake for 20 minutes, then gently toss, then continue baking for about 20-30 minutes more, until toasty and golden on top. Baking time will vary on quite a few factors so keep an eye on it. If it gets too browned too quickly, cover with foil.

Notes

    • You can leave the crusts on your bread, or cut them off. I usually leave mine on.
    • You can cube your fresh bread and lay out on a baking sheet covered by a light towel for 2-3 days to dry out naturally.
    • You can toast it in the oven. Bake at 350 for about 10-15 minutes and then toss it, and bake for another 10-ish minutes.
  • The egg does not make or break this recipe, it simply helps bind the bread cubes together.  You can leave it out if you like for a slightly looser stuffing.
BAKING NOTE: Stuffing is a very flexible dish- if you need to put it in the oven with other things to maximize space, you can cook it at a variety of temperatures (from 325-400).  If cooking at warmer temps, you might want to toss it a bit for even cooking, if cooking at a lower temp, it will take longer.  But overall it's very flexible and just needs to be hot and cooked through and toasty on top!

Nutrition

Calories: 267kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 31mg, Sodium: 751mg, Potassium: 156mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 570IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 88mg, Iron: 2mg
Course: Side Dishes
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Herbed Thanksgiving Stuffing
Calories: 267kcal
Cost: 15
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