This sourdough stuffing features classic herbal flavours, with sage, thyme, and rosemary. Sourdough bread adds an extra boost and it’s a great way to use a slightly stale loaf.
Photography by Sophie MacKenzie.
This easy vegetarian sourdough stuffing is the ideal side for holiday dinners! Whether you call it stuffing or dressing, it’s a delicious savoury bread pudding.
Our version uses four herbs (parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme) for a wonderful classic stuffing flavour that goes well with any main dish. Sourdough bread adds an extra boost of complexity alongside plenty of butter, onion, and celery.
It’s a new favourite that will be featuring on our holiday tables this season – give it a try!
Ingredients
Method
Tear the bread into chunks. Dry on a tray overnight, or toast at low temperature. 
Add the butter to a pan. Melt on low heat. Add the onion, celery, and garlic. Cook for 8-10 minutes. Add the chopped herbs. Cook until wilted. Pour the broth over the bread. Add the onion mixture. Add the eggs. Stir to combine. Place into a buttered baking dish. Bake for about 50 minutes.
Tips and Notes
To make ahead, get everything prepared and mixed. Place the stuffing into the baking dish, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking as directed.
After tearing the sourdough into pieces, we recommend drying it on a baking sheet overnight. A slightly stale loaf will absorb the liquid in the stuffing more effectively. If you don’t have time for this step, toast the bread in a low-temperature oven (about 200°F) for about 20 minutes instead.
Use a good vegetable broth, homemade if possible. This is a good neutral flavour so the stuffing goes well with any main dish.
We haven’t tried baking this specific stuffing in the chicken or turkey, and far prefer baking in in the serving dish for two reasons. First, it’s easier to crisp – just remove the tin foil and bake another few minutes. Second, it looks much nicer to serve in the dish it’s baked in.
If you don’t make your own sourdough, try asking a local bakery if they have any day-old loaves, as they’ll be cheaper and work perfectly here. If using dry bread, you can skip the overnight or toasting step.
Substitutions
Try using a flavoured loaf, like this apricot anise sourdough, in place of the plain bread.
Add cooked sausage meat to the onion mixture if you have some you’d like to use up.
Mix in a peeled and chopped apple to the onion mix if a hint of sweetness is your thing. Or, add a half cup of dried cranberries to the bowl when mixing the stuffing.
Use dried herbs if you don’t have fresh (about half the amounts called for). Poultry seasoning is a good alternative if you have it on hand, as is Herbes de Provence.
For a dairy free option, use a good vegan butter. Olive oil can be used in a pinch but it will have a different texture.
Chicken stock is a good substitute for vegetable broth, especially if you’re planning on serving this with roast chicken.
More Savoury Bakes
Blue Cheese Scones with Prosciutto
Sourdough Focaccia
Vegan Soda Bread
Puff Pastry Turkey Pot Pie
Recipe
Classic Sourdough Stuffing
This sourdough stuffing features classic herbal flavours, with sage, thyme, and rosemary. Sourdough bread adds an extra boost and it's a great way to use a slightly stale loaf. Adapted from Bon Appetit's Simple is Best Dressing.
Ingredients
- 1 loaf of sourdough, torn into 1 inch cubes, or 12-14 cups (about 500g)
- ½ cup (115 grams) butter
- 2 cups (200 grams) onions, chopped
- 1 ½ cups (140 grams) celery, chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic, about 3 cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt, more to taste if needed
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup (20 grams) chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 3 tablespoon chopped sage
- 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
- 1 ½—2 cups (350—475ml) vegetable stock
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Tear the sourdough into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes. Place the pieces on a baking tray and leave uncovered overnight to dry out—alternatively, you can toast the bread in a low oven (about 200°F for ~20 minutes) to help remove the moisture.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9-inch (23 cm) square (or equivalent) baking dish with butter and set aside.
- Heat a frying pan over medium-low and add the butter.
- Once the butter is melted, add the onion, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the veggies start to become tender and lightly golden, 8-10 minutes.
- Add the salt, pepper, parsley, thyme, sage, and rosemary, stirring until the herbs wilt and become fragrant. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
- Next, add the dried out bread to a large bowl. Pour 1 ½ cups of broth over the bread and mix to combine. Next add the cooled onion mixture and stir to combine. Add the eggs to the bowl.
- Using your hands or a spatula, gently mix well so that all of the bread is well coated. You may need to add ½ cup more broth if needed.
- Transfer the mixture to the baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 15-20 more minutes, or until desired crispness is reached.
- Serve immediately. Leftovers will keep for a couple days in the fridge and can be reheated in the microwave or on the stove top. Ideally, reheat in the oven to re-crisp the top.
Notes
To make ahead, get everything prepared and mixed. Place the stuffing into the baking dish, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking as directed.
After tearing the sourdough into pieces, we recommend drying it on a baking sheet overnight. A slightly stale loaf will absorb the liquid in the stuffing more effectively. If you don’t have time for this step, toast the bread in a low-temperature oven (about 200°F) for about 20 minutes instead.
Use a good vegetable broth, homemade if possible. This is a good neutral flavour so the stuffing goes well with any main dish.
We haven’t tried baking this specific stuffing in the chicken or turkey, and far prefer baking in in the serving dish for two reasons. First, it’s easier to crisp – just remove the tin foil and bake another few minutes. Second, it looks much nicer to serve in the dish it’s baked in.
If you don't make your own sourdough, try asking a local bakery if they have any day-old loaves, as they'll be cheaper and work perfectly here. If using dry bread, you can skip the overnight or toasting step.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 320Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 714mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 3gSugar: 6gProtein: 9g
This is an approximation of the nutrition offered in this recipe, and is created using a nutrition calculator.
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