Which bread makes the best stuffing?

This is the big question, but it has a simple answer. It all depends on the texture you’re trying to accomplish, and the flavor profile. In this recipe I used a rustic sourdough with a chewy inside and a thick crunchy crust.

Challah: This is one of my favorite breads because it’s dense and slightly sweet. The texture will absorb liquid well, giving you a bread pudding like consistency, but there won’t be any crunch. The flavor will be slightly sweeter and a lot more rich from the butter and egg.

French bread: The texture will absorb liquid and will be soft. This is good if you don’t like a chunky stuffing but a more dissolved/blended feel. The flavor is neutral so it will take on whatever you add to the recipe.

Sourdough: The texture will be moist with chewy and crunchy bits from the crust. This bread makes a chunkier stuffing. The flavor is pretty neutral with a hint of sour, but it won’t be noticeable against the rest of the ingredients.

Croutons: These make for a loose, small pieced stuffing. The texture is spongy and fluffy. The flavor will be depend on what type of croutons you use, they often have a saltier flavor.

The Mix Ins for this Leek and Butter Stuffing

Not too little, not too much. It’s important not to add too many mix-ins, keep it simple yet flavorful by choosing ingredients that hold a lot of flavor. For example, choose leeks instead of carrots and add garlic.

Leek and butter stuffing raw zoomed in — Stuffing with mix-ins before baking

The Chopped Vegetables

Leeks

Celery

Garlic

The Fresh Herbs

parsley

rosemary

time

Chunky Leek & Butter Stuffing

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

Author: Victoria Cozen
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 8 1x

Description

This chunky stuffing is buttery and flavored with leeks, celery and fresh herbs. It is moist with just the right touch of crunch and chew.

Scale

Ingredients

1 medium loaf of rustic sourdough bread
1/2 cup salted butter
2 cups thinly sliced leeks (about 2 leeks)
1 1/2 cups diced celery (about 3–4 stalks)
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
2 cups vegetable broth
2 eggs
1 tablespoon of olive oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F and grease an 8×11 inch dish with olive oil.
Tear loaf into 1 to 2 inch pieces.
If bread is fresh, place on a baking sheet and broil until slightly dry, otherwise put into a large bowl.
Chop leeks, celery and garlic and place in a medium saucepan with butter, salt and pepper.
Place on low heat until butter is melted, once melted sauté vegetables on medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Pour the butter and vegetable mixture into the torn bread and add the parsley, thyme and rosemary. Toss until bread is fully coated.
Add the vegetable broth and toss again.
Add the eggs and toss once last time, making sure the liquid is evenly distributed.
Pour mixture into baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until top is crispy.