We Couldn't Pick Just One Best Bread for Stuffing (We Tried 6)
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I know I’m not alone in thinking that the best part of the Thanksgiving feast is the array of sides (my husband would argue that it’s the pies). I will sometimes put the tiniest piece of perfunctory turkey on my plate, leaving most of the room instead for cranberry sauce, green beans, mashed potatoes, glazed pearl onions, and sweet potato casserole. And of course there’s the ultimate, most beloved (by me, at least), be-all, end-all of Turkey Day sides — the one dish that I’d argue is always the most anticipated. The stuffing.
Great stuffing will please your palate with interesting textures (a combo of crispy and moist/creamy) and irresistible flavors (savory aromatics, heady herbs, and the essence of the bread itself). Not-so-great stuffing might be bland, too piece-y, or simply wet and soggy.
The bread you make your stuffing with plays a big role in these factors, either leading you to savory bliss or sad disappointment. I tested 6 different kinds of bread in the same stuffing recipe to see which one would rise to the top. And in a twist, two methods tied as the winners.
I declared a tie for the winner!
For a more casserole-ish stuffing that mostly holds together and yields crispy cubes on the top of the pan, cornbread is hearty perfection.
For a more piece-y stuffing that still holds together somewhat, offers crunchy bits on top, and lends superb flavor, sourdough bread can’t be beat.
A Few Notes on Methodology
The bread: For each test, I started with 8 cups of bread cubes. This tended to equal 8 ounces of most types of bread; sourdough was 12 ounces, though, and cornbread was an 11-ounce pan of prepared bread.
The testing: Each method began the same way: I cubed and toasted the bread on a sheet pan at 325°F until golden-brown and dry (10 to 30 minutes depending on the bread). I then used the same recipe to test each method: I cooked a finely chopped medium onion and 2 finely chopped celery ribs in 1 stick of melted butter until tender. I then stirred in 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. I whisked together 1 large egg and 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, then stirred that together with the vegetables and toasted bread. I let the mixture stand for 10 minutes, transferred it to an 8-inch square baking dish, and baked at 425°F for about 20 minutes.
The ratings: The two main criteria for my ratings were texture and flavor. The ratings range from 1 to 10, with 10 representing perfection.
Method #1: Hawaiian Rolls
Rating: 5/10
About this method: I started off by cubing and toasting King’s Hawaiian Original Hawaiian Sweet Rolls until fully dried; this took 15 minutes for me, and the bread got more deeply browned than the other breads in the lineup. I then proceeded with the base stuffing recipe (see methodology notes for specifics).
Results: As I cut the bread to make cubes, I took note that it was very soft and delicate. My first attempt at drying out the bread resulted in burned cubes — likely from the high sugar content compared to other types of bread, so I adjusted the time down. After baking the stuffing, the top was nicely crisped and deeply browned, but underneath it was soggy and wet. This bread is very soft with a fine crumb, and its structure seems too delicate for this application. Aside from the textural issues, the flavor skewed too sweet; the sautéed aromatics and spices did their best to balance the sweetness, but the flavor still seemed off.
Method #2: Challah
Rating: 6.5/10
About this method: I chose a beautiful braided challah loaf, cubed the bread, and toasted it until it dried out and got lightly browned; this took 28 minutes for me. I then used this toasted bread in the base stuffing recipe explained above.
Results: The bread immediately soaked up all of the liquid when I went to mix together the stuffing elements, leaving some cubes bone-dry, so I used an additional quarter-cup of broth to moisten the ingredients. The texture of the finished stuffing was creamy and moist underneath and lightly crispy on top. The stuffing held together a bit more than some of the other bread-based stuffings. But the characteristic rich flavor of challah overwhelmed the stuffing. The celery, onions, and poultry blend spices were surprisingly clobbered by the eggy taste of the challah.
Method #3: Bagged Stuffing Bread
Rating: 7/10
About this method: I was unable to find bagged stuffing bread in my local supermarkets, so I ordered some online. This convenience product saves some prep work, as it’s already cut into perfectly sized cubes. Because this bread is already slightly dried out, it took just 10 minutes to toast it as the first step of the stuffing process.
Results: As with the challah, this bread immediately soaked up all the liquid, so some of the bread stayed dry. I drizzled an additional 1/4 cup broth over the mixture to make sure all was evenly moistened. The finished stuffing remained moist underneath, and the top layer was chewy-crispy. The flavor was a bit lacking in character, bordering on bland. The pre-prepped bread offers convenience, but I’m not convinced it’s worth the extra expense.
Method #4: Hearty White Bread
Rating: 7.5/10
About this method: Here, I used Arnold Country-Style White Bread, which I cubed and toasted for 30 minutes to fully dry out before proceeding with the master stuffing recipe.
Results: The baked stuffing offered up light, crispy pieces on top and remained moist underneath. It did not hold together all that well, remaining very piece-y and separate when I scooped it onto a plate. The bread didn’t seem to contribute much to the flavor; the stuffing tasted of all the separate elements (onion, celery, butter, poultry seasoning, bread) without them coming together in harmony. That said, this stuffing tasted the most buttery out of the bunch.
Method #5: Sourdough Bread
Rating: 10/10
About this method: To test this method, I purchased an unsliced sourdough boule and cut it into cubes; because this type of bread is denser than most, the same volume of cubes weighed about 33% more than other bread types. It took 30 minutes to dry out and toast these bread cubes.
Results: This stuffing had a hearty texture that held together somewhat but still remained a bit piece-y on the plate. It yielded wonderfully robust, crunchy bits on top and a solid interior that was denser — in a good way — than stuffings made with other types of bread. The flavor was divine, with the delicious tang of the bread elevating the earthier hints of celery and poultry seasoning. The taste was decidedly savory and simply iconic. When it comes to bread stuffing, this is the flavor I expect and crave.
Method #6: Cornbread
Rating: 10/10
About this method: For this test, I began by baking a box of Jiffy corn muffin mix in an 8-inch square baking pan instead of as individual muffins. After cooling the cornbread, I split it in half horizontally and then cut it into cubes, which took 30 minutes to dry out and toast in the oven.
Results: Full disclosure: This is the type of stuffing (actually, we always call it “dressing”) that I grew up with. The cornbread works beautifully here. Within the stuffing, it breaks down a bit into the egg-broth binder so that it holds together more as a casserole, while the cubes at the top of the pan toast and retain their structural integrity. The packaged cornbread mix is sweetened, but the overall flavor in the finished stuffing is well-balanced and predominantly savory. The overall taste is classic Thanksgiving stuffing, with the slightest hint of corn sweetness to round out the flavors.
Overall Key Takeaways
Two methods tied for first place here. And that’s because they offer very different textures and yet yield equally delicious results.
If you want a hearty bread pudding-ish texture inside and crunchy bits on top, you cannot go wrong with sourdough. Its tangy-rich flavor elevates any stuffing, while its denser texture creates a stuffing with heft.
If you want a stuffing that holds together and is less piece-y, cornbread should be your go-to. The depth of flavor you gain from the cornmeal takes stuffing (or dressing, if you prefer) to a whole new level.
Further Reading
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