Easy Sourdough Stuffing Recipe
One of my favorite Thanksgiving sides is homemade bread stuffing, and if you haven’t made this from scratch you’re missing out! This Easy Sourdough Stuffing Recipe comes together with just a few simple ingredients, including toasted sourdough bread, plenty of butter, and fresh herbs. It’s crispy on the top, soft and buttery in the middle, and packed with flavor. Once you make stuffing from scratch, you’ll never go back!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Made with sourdough bread: The slightly tangy flavor of sourdough takes this stuffing to the next level.
- Crispy edges, soft center: Golden and buttery on top, with a soft, flavorful center that isn’t mushy.
- Simple ingredients: Made with everyday staples like butter, onion, celery, and fresh herbs.
- Easy to make: No fussy steps, just simple prep and delicious results.
Tools You’ll Need:
- 9×9 baking dish- to bake the bread stuffing; this is my favorite 9×9 ceramic baking dish. If you want to double this recipe, use a 9×13 baking dish.
- Cutting board and sharp knife- to chop the vegetables and herbs; you can also use precut.
- Garlic mincer- to mince the fresh garlic.
- Half size baking sheet- to toast the sourdough bread cubes.
- Large saucepan- to sauté the vegetable and butter mixture.
- Large mixing bowl- to combine the bread stuffing.
- Wooden spoon or spatula- to combine the stuffing.
- Aluminum foil- to cover the dish while the stuffing bakes; this locks in moisture.
Gather Your Ingredients for the Stuffing:
- Sourdough Bread- Slightly stale sourdough works especially well for stuffing, but you can use fresh bread as well!
- Salted Butter– Adds buttery flavor and helps give the stuffing its golden, crispy edges.
- Yellow Onion & Celery- The classic stuffing combination! I prefer to use fresh vegetables but you can use pre-cut if you’d like.
- Garlic- You can use garlic cloves or minced garlic.
- Fresh Sage & Thyme- These give stuffing its classic flavor. You can also substitute dried herbs, I’ll have details listed for this on the recipe card.
- Salt & Black Pepper- Enhance the flavors of the sourdough, butter, and vegetables.
- Chicken Broth (or turkey drippings)- Broth adds moisture and savory flavor to the stuffing; I like to use defatted turkey drippings for an even richer Thanksgiving stuffing. You can also substitute for any vegetable or bone broth if you prefer.
Step-by-step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Bread Cubes
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a half size baking sheet with parchment, and set aside.
I like to use bread that is slightly stale, but fresh works as well. Cut the sourdough bread into 1-inch cubes and spread evenly onto the baking sheet.
Bake the sourdough bread cubes for for 25–35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bread is dried and lightly crisp. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely to dry it out fully.
Step 2: Sauté the vegetables
Wash and dry your celery, then chop it into thin 1/4 inch slices. You’ll also dice your onion into 1/4 inch pieces so it softens evenly and blends into the stuffing.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt your butter. Once the butter is fully melted, add the chopped celery and onion. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened.
While the vegetables cook, chop your sage and thyme finely if you’re using fresh herbs and set them aside.
Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Stir in the fresh sage, thyme, salt, and black pepper (if you choose to use dried herbs add them at this time).
Cook for another minute to release the herbs flavors then remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool for a few minutes.
Step 3: Mix and Bake the Stuffing
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9×9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Transfer the toasted sourdough cubes to a large mixing bowl. Pour the buttery vegetable mixture over the bread and gently toss it all until evenly coated.
Slowly pour the broth of your choice over the bread mixture, gently tossing it all until evenly moistened. It’s very important to go slow when adding the broth; you don’t want soggy bread!
Tip on Using Turkey Drippings
For even more flavor, replace some or all of the broth with the pan drippings from your roasted turkey. Skim or pour off the excess fat before measuring the remaining juices. If you don’t have enough, add chicken or turkey broth to reach the amount needed. Taste the drippings before adding the full amount of salt, as they can already salty.
Allow the bread mixture to rest for 5 minutes so the bread can absorb the liquid, then if needed gradually add a bit more broth only if necessary. The bread should be moist throughout but not soggy.
Transfer the stuffing into the baking dish, spreading it evenly without packing it down too firmly.
Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20–25 minutes.
Remove the foil after this time, and increase the heat of the oven to 400 F. Bake the stuffing for another 15–20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and crispy.
Allow the stuffing to rest for 5–10 minutes before serving. I like to top it with a few more fresh herbs as a garnish!
How to Feed a Crowd
For larger gatherings, double all the ingredients and use a 9×13-inch baking dish (you can scale the recipe to 2x on the recipe card). The stuffing will be slightly deeper, so increase the baking time as needed until the center reaches 165°F and the top is golden and crispy.
How to Store:
Refrigerator: Store leftover stuffing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. Reheat before enjoying.
Freezer: Freeze completely cooled stuffing in an airtight, freezer safe container for up to 2–3 months for best quality.
Reheating: Place the stuffing in a baking dish with a splash of broth to prevent drying out. Cover with foil and reheat at 350°F until the center reaches 165°F. Remove the foil toward the end if you want to crisp up the top again and bake for 10 minutes at 400°F.
FAQ’S
A crusty artisan sourdough loaf works best for this recipe. You can use homemade or store bought!
The key is drying the sourdough cubes thoroughly before adding the broth. Start with 1 cup of broth and only add more if the bread still feels dry. You want the bread evenly moistened without excess liquid collecting in the bottom of the bowl.
Yes! You can dry the sourdough cubes 1 to 2 days ahead and store them in an airtight container at room temperature (stale bread is great). The vegetables and herbs can also be chopped ahead and refrigerated before assembly.
Yes! Double all the ingredients and bake in a 9×13-inch baking dish. The stuffing will be slightly deeper, so you may need to increase the baking time. Make sure the center reaches 165°F before serving.
Yes. I will give swaps for this on the recipe card below.
Can I use this stuffing in my turkey?
Yes! Prepare the bread and vegetable mixture separately, allowing the cooked vegetables and butter to cool before combining with the broth. Keep the wet and dry ingredients separate until you’re ready to stuff the turkey.
Just before roasting, gently toss everything together and loosely spoon the stuffing into the turkey cavity. Avoid packing it tightly so the stuffing can cook evenly.
If you loved this recipe, drop a comment and leave a star review and don’t forget to checkout more of my sourdough Thanksgiving side ideas!
Sourdough Thanksgiving Side Ideas:
- Sourdough Cornbread Recipe
- Sourdough Oatmeal Molasses Dinner Rolls
- Easy Sourdough Dinner Rolls (same-day option)
Easy Sourdough Stuffing Recipe
Equipment
- 9×9 baking dish – to bake the bread stuffing; this is my favorite 9×9 ceramic baking dish. If you want to double this recipe, use a 9×13 baking dish.
- Cutting board and sharp knife – to chop the vegetables and herbs; you can also use precut.
- Garlic mincer – to mince the fresh garlic.
- Half size baking sheet – to toast the sourdough bread cubes.
- Large saucepan- Рto saut̩ the vegetable and butter mixture.
- Large mixing bowl – to combine the bread stuffing.
- Wooden spoon or spatula – to combine the stuffing.
- Aluminum foil – to cover the dish while the stuffing bakes; this locks in moisture.
Ingredients
- 6 (350g) cups sourdough bread cut into 1-inch cubes
- ½ (113g) cup salted butter
- ¾ (115g) cup yellow onion diced
- ¾ (75g) cup celery stalks sliced thin
- 2 garlic cloves (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage (or 1 tsp dried rubbed sage)
- 2¼ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or 3/4 tsp dried thyme)
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- 1 (240g) cup chicken or vegetable broth or defatted turkey drippings
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Bread Cubes
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a half size baking sheet with parchment, and set aside.
- I like to use bread that is slightly stale, but fresh works as well. Cut the sourdough bread into 1-inch cubes and spread evenly onto the baking sheet.6 (350g) cups sourdough bread
- Bake the sourdough bread cubes for for 25–35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bread is dried and lightly crisp. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely to dry it out fully.
Step 2: Sauté the vegetables
- Wash and dry your celery, then chop it into thin 1/4 inch slices. You’ll also dice your onion into 1/4 inch pieces so it softens evenly and blends into the stuffing.¾ (75g) cup celery stalks, ¾ (115g) cup yellow onion
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt your butter. Once the butter is fully melted, add the chopped celery and onion. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened.½ (113g) cup salted butter
- While the vegetables cook, chop your sage and thyme finely if you’re using fresh herbs and set them aside.1 tablespoon fresh sage, 2¼ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.2 garlic cloves
- Stir in the fresh sage, thyme, salt, and black pepper (if you choose to use dried herbs add them at this time).1/4 tsp ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Cook for another minute to release the herbs flavors then remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool for a few minutes.
Step 3: Mix and Bake the Stuffing
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9×9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Transfer the toasted sourdough cubes to a large mixing bowl. Pour the buttery vegetable mixture over the bread and gently toss it all until evenly coated.
- Slowly pour the broth of your choice over the bread mixture, gently tossing it all until evenly moistened. It’s very important to go slow when adding the broth; you don’t want soggy bread!1 (240g) cup chicken or vegetable broth
- Tip on Using Turkey Drippings: For even more flavor, replace some or all of the broth with the pan drippings from your roasted turkey. Skim or pour off the excess fat before measuring the remaining juices. If you don't have enough, add chicken or turkey broth to reach the amount needed. Taste the drippings before adding the full amount of salt, as they can already salty.
- Allow the bread mixture to rest for 5 minutes so the bread can absorb the liquid, then if needed gradually add a bit more broth only if necessary. The bread should be moist throughout but not soggy.
- Transfer the stuffing into the baking dish, spreading it evenly without packing it down too firmly.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20–25 minutes.
- Remove the foil after this time, and increase the heat of the oven to 400 F. Bake the stuffing for another 15–20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and crispy.
- Allow the stuffing to rest for 5–10 minutes before serving. I like to top it with more fresh herbs as a garnish!