Sourdough Stuffing Recipe for Thanksgiving Crowd-Pleasers

Sourdough stuffing makes a wonderful, flavorful side for holiday meals and is the perfect way to use homemade sourdough bread. This classic recipe yields a golden, buttery top with a soft, chewy interior infused with savory herbs and a hint of apple for balance.

Serve this sourdough stuffing beside roasted turkey, sweet potato casserole and cranberry sauce for a memorable Thanksgiving or holiday table. It’s rich, comforting and adaptable—swap ingredients to suit what you have on hand or to match your family’s tastes.

One of the best features of this recipe is its flexibility. Use fresh or dried herbs, substitute vegetables like leeks or carrots for the onion and celery, or add browned sausage for a heartier version. The instructions below include suggestions for common substitutions and tips to ensure the bread has the right texture.

Sourdough stuffing or sourdough dressing?

Traditionally, “stuffing” referred to a bread mixture cooked inside a bird, while “dressing” described the same mixture cooked in a separate dish. Due to food-safety recommendations, most cooks now bake stuffing in a casserole outside the bird, making “dressing” a technically accurate term. Regardless of the name, the result is delicious either way.

Best bread for sourdough stuffing

The ideal base is a plain sourdough loaf. Day-old or slightly stale bread is easiest to cube and dry; fresh loaves will work if toasted or dried first. You can also experiment with flavored sourdoughs—pumpkin, brioche or honey-oat will add unique notes to the stuffing.

Spread cubed bread on baking sheets to dry it out evenly—this helps the cubes absorb the stock without becoming mushy during baking.

How to make sourdough stuffing (step-by-step)

The method is straightforward but starts the night before to ensure the bread is properly dried.

The night before

Cube the sourdough into roughly 1-inch pieces and arrange them on a parchment-lined baking tray. Bake at 200°C (390°F) for 45–60 minutes until the bread is toasted and dry. Remove from the oven and leave the cubes uncovered overnight (cover with a dish towel if preferred).

To make the stuffing

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and prepare a heavy, oven-safe casserole dish.

Place the dried bread cubes in a large bowl and set aside.

Melt 150 g butter in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add diced onion and garlic and soften for a few minutes, then add diced celery and apple. Cook gently—do not brown—until vegetables are softened. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Whisk two eggs into 3/4 of the stock in a pouring jug and keep the remainder of the stock separate.

Add chopped herbs, salt and pepper to the bowl with the bread cubes, then fold in the softened vegetables. Pour three-quarters of the stock-and-egg mixture evenly over the bowl and toss until the bread cubes are well coated.

Transfer the stuffing mixture into the prepared dish and pour the remaining stock mixture over the top. Cut the remaining 75 g of butter into small cubes and scatter them across the surface.

Cover the dish with foil and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for another 45–60 minutes until the top is golden and crisp and the filling is set. Let rest a few minutes before serving.

Ingredient substitutions

This recipe is very forgiving. Common substitutions and options include:

• Bread: Use stale sourdough or dry fresh bread in the oven.
• Fat: Butter gives the best flavor, but olive oil works in a pinch.
• Stock: Use vegetable stock if you prefer a vegetarian version, or rehydrate stock cubes to make liquid stock.
• Vegetables: Swap celery and onion for leeks, carrots or mushrooms; onion is recommended for depth of flavor.
• Sausage: Add browned pork or turkey sausage with the vegetables for a meaty variation; increase dish size if adding meat.
• Herbs: Use fresh or dried herbs as available—sage lends a classic stuffing flavor; adjust amounts to taste.
• Seasoning: Start with 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper, then adjust depending on how salty your stock is.

Can you eat sourdough stuffing any time of year?

Absolutely. While it’s a Thanksgiving favorite, this stuffing works year-round. It’s especially nice alongside roasted pork, sausages or mashed potatoes for a cozy winter meal, and it’s a great use for leftover bread.

Make-ahead and storage

You can bake the stuffing up to 2 days ahead. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate. Reheat in a moderate oven until warmed through—many people find the flavors improve overnight. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Sourdough Stuffing Recipe