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Stuffing? Dressing? Whatever you call it, this Sourdough Stuffing is the one that wins Thanksgiving at my house. I know some people call it dressing, but we’ve always called it stuffing, and this homemade version is seriously the best I’ve ever made.
A loaf of homemade sourdough bread (or try it with my Roasted Garlic Rosemary Focaccia—swoon!) makes the best base for stuffing. The crust gets chewy and the soft interior soaks up all those rich, savory flavors perfectly.
Growing up, my dad used boxed stuffing, and I was one of the few who loved it. But a few years ago, I decided to make my own—from scratch, with dried sourdough bread—and when I tell you it’s life-changing, I mean holiday-changing. Everyone devoured it and said it was the best stuffing they’d ever had. Now, this Sourdough Stuffing Recipe is a permanent part of our Thanksgiving table and Christmas holiday meal.
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Why You’ll Love Sourdough Stuffing
Here’s why this sourdough stuffing recipe deserves a spot on your Thanksgiving table.
- Easy Make-Ahead Side – This stuffing can be mixed up 2 days ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake and serve as a side dish. If you love prepping ahead, try my Homemade Sourdough Croutons for another easy way to use up extra sourdough bread.
- Thanksgiving Favorite – This might just be my favorite of all of my Thanksgiving sourdough recipes. It’s rich, savory, and so flavorful that everyone was searching for the leftovers the next day (spoiler alert—they didn’t last!).
- Useful Leftovers – I love using up leftover artisan sourdough bread to mix up this stuffing. It’s a great way to make the most of your leftovers! And for another leftover artisan sourdough idea, try this Sourdough Breakfast Casserole too!
Important Ingredients
- Sourdough Bread – I use a loaf of bread from my favorite classic sourdough bread recipe. The bread needs to be dried out over the course of a few days (depending on the humidity) or baked until dry.
- Sweet Onion – Sweet onion adds a delicious, mild flavor to this traditional stuffing. You can substitute a yellow or white onion if that’s what you have on hand.
- Celery – Celery works with the onion to bring great depth of flavor.
- Unsalted Butter – Yes, this recipe calls for quite a bit of butter—and that’s what makes it so rich and flavorful! You can reduce to ½–¾ cup if you prefer, but I promise the full amount is worth it.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic adds wonderful depth to this savory stuffing. You can also substitute about 1 teaspoon of garlic powder if needed.
- Fresh Herbs – Fresh herbs (like fresh rosemary, sage, and parsley) make the flavors pop. You can substitute dried herbs – use about 1 teaspoon of each.
- Poultry Seasoning – This classic seasoning blend ties everything together and gives that familiar Thanksgiving stuffing flavor.
- Chicken Stock – Chicken stock adds rich flavor and moisture.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities
Substitutions
- Bread: You can use any bread recipe to make this stuffing. I prefer using classic artisan sourdough bread, but any artisan loaf can be substituted. A sandwich loaf will yield a softer stuffing, while crusty sourdough creates that perfect chewy edge.
- Butter: This recipe calls for quite a lot of butter. You can reduce the butter to 3/4 or 1/2 cup, but I love using the full amount. If you use salted butter, just hold back a little on the extra salt in the recipe.
- Chicken Stock: Substitute with vegetable broth for a vegan or vegetarian version. You can also substitute Better Than Bouillon paste or bouillon cubes mixed with water for chicken stock in the recipe or substitute turkey broth.
- Mix-ins: Want to customize your stuffing? Try adding chopped apples, sausage, toasted nuts, or even dried cranberries for a festive touch.
How to Make Sourdough Stuffing
Dry Out the Bread
Step 1: Tear your sourdough bread into small, about 1-inch cubes (a great job for kids or helpers)! Spread them on a baking sheet.
Step 2: Dry the bread by either leaving it out to air-dry for 1–2 days or baking it at a low temperature until crisp.
Air Drying: A few days before you plan to make your sourdough stuffing, layer the bread chunks on a baking sheet and cover with a kitchen towel. Let them air-dry until completely hard, then store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Baking: Bake the bread cubes at 170–200°F for 45–60 minutes, or until completely dry. Let toasted bread cubes cool fully before using them in the stuffing. To prepare ahead, store the cooled cubes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Scale it Down: This recipe can easily be scaled down to an 8 x 8 baking dish. Just half the recipe ingredients if you’re feeding a smaller group.
Mix Sourdough Stuffing
Step 3: Dice the onion and celery, and mince the garlic and fresh herbs so they’re ready to sauté.
Step 4: Over medium-low heat, melt butter in a large skillet. Add the diced onion, celery, garlic, rosemary, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Sauté for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are softened. Turn off the heat and remove the skillet from the stove.
Step 5: Add the dry bread cubes and toss with the butter/vegetable mixture.
Step 6: Add 2 cups of chicken stock and fresh herbs on top of the bread and mix together. The bread should be moistened but not overly soft. If you want a softer stuffing, add another 1/2 cup to 1 cup of chicken broth.
Optional Add-Ins: This is a great base for a traditional savory sourdough stuffing, but you can easily make it your own with add-ins like cooked sausage, diced apples or pears for a touch of sweetness, dried cranberries or raisins, chopped nuts, or some roasted garlic and mushrooms for extra flavor. Mix in one or two favorites before baking if desired.
Step 7: Grease a 9 by 13 baking pan with butter.
Step 8: Pour and evenly spread the stuffing mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Sourdough Stuffing Make Ahead Tips
- To Prep Ahead: Assemble the stuffing up to 2 days ahead, cover, and refrigerate. Add a splash of stock before baking if it looks dry.
- To Reheat: Cover with foil and warm at 350°F for 20–30 minutes, uncovering for the last 10 minutes to re-crisp the top.
- Freezing: You can freeze baked stuffing in portions. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat covered until warmed through.
Bake the Sourdough Stuffing
Step 9: Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.
Step 10: After 35 minutes, remove the aluminum foil and bake for another 10 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm. Enjoy!
Cooking in a Turkey: Traditionally, stuffing is baked inside the turkey, though we always serve ours on the side (so maybe that makes it dressing?). If you prefer to cook it in the bird, make sure the stuffing is at room temperature and stuff the turkey just before baking. Cook until the stuffing reaches an internal temperature of 165°F before serving.
How to Store Leftovers
We keep leftover stuffing in the refrigerator for up to a week and reheat as needed. It also freezes well for up to a couple of months. Just thaw in the fridge overnight and warm in the oven before serving.
Amy’s Recipe Tip
The real star of this recipe is the loaf of crusty sourdough bread. An artisan sourdough loaf is perfect for traditional stuffing (or even a store-bought crusty loaf from the store)—it’s soft and tender on the inside with a crusty, chewy exterior. When rehydrated with chicken stock and baked, it develops so much flavor and the most amazing texture: never mushy, just perfectly soft bites with a few chewy pieces throughout.
Use my classic sourdough recipe, beginner sourdough bread, or even my easy sourdough bread – all three are great candidates for this sourdough stuffing and will make this stuffing recipe shine. I also think it would be delicious made with sourdough focaccia, too. Softer sourdough sandwich bread will work in a pinch, but will give the stuffing a more pudding-like texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
This stuffing lands right in the middle—crusty on the outside, soft in the center, and full of delicious texture without being mushy. If you prefer stuffing that holds together more, whisk an egg into the chicken broth before pouring it over the bread, then bake as directed.
This stuffing doesn’t include any eggs, but some recipes do—it helps the stuffing stick together more (think bread pudding). If you prefer a stuffing that holds together, whisk one large egg into the chicken broth before pouring it over the bread.
Drying the bread is key to great stuffing. It lets the bread soak up the liquid – butter, broth, and seasonings without turning soggy. Fresh bread holds too much moisture, which can make the stuffing heavy or mushy. Using dry, sturdy bread cubes gives you that perfect balance—soft inside with crispy edges once baked.
Favorite Holiday Sourdough Recipes
If you tried this Sourdough Stuffing Recipe or any other recipe on my website leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Happy Baking!
Sourdough Stuffing Recipe
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Equipment
- skillet
Ingredients
- 1 loaf sourdough artisan bread, see recipe notes
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 medium sweet onions, diced, about 2 cups
- 4 stalks celery, diced, about 1 1/2 cups
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 2 Tablespoons rosemary, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 cups chicken stock, vegetable stock can be substituted
- 2 Tablespoons fresh sage, chopped (optional)
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, reserved for greasing the pan
Instructions
Preparing the Bread
- Drying the Bread: A few days before making the stuffing, slice a loaf of sourdough artisan bread into pieces. Tear the bread, making sure to have a good assortment of middle of the bread and crusts. Layer the chunks of bread on a baking sheet and cover with a kitchen towel. Let air dry until completely hard and dry. Store in an airtight container for a few days until ready to use.
- Alternative Option: Bake the cubes of bread in the oven on your lowest setting, about 170-200 degrees F for about 45 minutes to an hour until cubes are completely dry. Let cool completely before using in the stuffing. If you want to prepare the bread cubes ahead of time, store in an airtight container for a few days until ready to use.
Traditional Sourdough Stuffing
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter a 9 by 13 pan and set aside.
- Place a large skillet over medium-low heat. Melt the butter. Add diced onion, diced celery, minced garlic, chopped rosemary, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes until onions and celery are softened.
- Take the skillet off the heat and add the dried, sourdough bread cubes to the skillet. Toss the bread with the onion/celery mixture. Add 2 cups of chicken stock and fresh herbs on top of the bread and mix together. The bread should be moistened but not soft. If you want a softer stuffing, add another 1/2 cup to 1 cup of chicken broth.
- Pour the stuffing into the buttered baking dish. Cover with aluminium foil and bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees. After 35 minutes remove the aluminium foil and bake for another 10 minutes. Serve warm. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
very good recipe .used a few times mixing different breads sourgh dough and some pumperknickle or just sourghdough but a bistro classic sourdough bread.enjoying it thankyou
Thanks for the review!
I just tried this for our Thanksgiving and I will never use another recipe again. This was FANTASTIC!! I followed all of the directions but I made a round of sourdough and a six pack of sourdough rosemary rolls..so I left out the extra rosemary. Because of the extra bread, I added extra seasonings and more onion and celery. I only use salted butter so initially left out the salt but then found that that I needed it. The flavors were excellent, EVERYONE loved it and asked for the recipe. Just try this!! It is a keeper. Thank you Amy
So glad this was a hit for you. It was my favorite dish this Thanksgiving too. Thanks for your review!
It was my first time ever making stuffing. It was a hit! My family loved the rosemary from the rosemary sourdough loaf. THANK YOU for sharing this recipe. The pictures and detailed instructions were so helpful! I loved how I could make it ahead and bake it the next day!
I’m glad it was a big hit! We loved if for Thanksgiving this year too.
Omg! I made this yesterday with my sour dough loaf for Thanksgiving and it was a hit! I never made home made stuffing but this was the best one I’ve ever had and the recipe was so easy! Definitely making this again next year. Thank you for sharing.
So glad it was a hit! Happy Holidays.