Classic Bread Stuffing Recipe
This savory classic stuffing recipe will be the perfect complement to your Thanksgiving turkey. Just a few seasonings make a flavorful, easy to prepare bread stuffing.
It starts with fresh bread cubes tossed with butter, celery, scallions, garlic and thyme, then bakes in a dish until the top is golden and crisp. You decide how soft or crunchy it gets by how long it bakes uncovered.
The Best Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe (Crispy on Top)
Full disclosure here: I have not always been the biggest fan of stuffing at Thanksgiving. It’s a staple though. Stuffing must accompany turkey at Thanksgiving. It’s tradition!
So after several years of experimenting with stuffing, I discovered I like mine a little more crispy rather than moist and soft. To get that crunchy texture, I bake my stuffing in a dish instead of stuffing the turkey. It’s also simple to adjust the texture by how long you bake it uncovered, and I give you exact times below.
Most traditional stuffing recipes tell you to use stale bread or to dry or lightly toast it first. I really enjoyed the texture from fresh bread. I could not stop stealing tastes once it was fresh out of the oven. I had to slap my own hand to stop myself from devouring it before I had even taken pictures!
Here is how it all comes together: fresh bread cubes, a pan of butter with celery, scallions, garlic and thyme, a cup of stock, then a covered bake followed by an uncovered one. That is all it takes to get a soft middle and a golden, crispy top.
Why You’ll Love This Classic Bread Stuffing
- Crispy, golden top. Baking it in a dish gives you crunchy edges and a soft middle.
- You choose the texture. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes for soft stuffing or 25 minutes for crispy.
- No stale bread needed. Fresh bread cubes go straight into the bowl.
- Simple seasonings. Butter, celery, scallions, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Nothing fussy.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This is a short, simple ingredient list, and every item has a job. Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Fresh bread: A 1 pound loaf cut into 1/2 inch cubes, about 8 to 10 cups. Keep the cubes about the same size so they soak up the butter and stock evenly. Fresh bread absorbs the liquid quickly and bakes up tender inside with crisp edges on top. A loaf with a firm crumb holds its shape better than very soft sandwich bread. White, sourdough, asiago and whole wheat loaves all work.
- Unsalted butter: 1/2 cup. It carries all the flavor and helps the top crisp. Using unsalted butter lets you control the salt, which matters because stock and broth can already be salty.
- Celery: 2 cups, chopped, for that classic stuffing flavor and a little crunch. Cooking it in butter first softens it and brings out its mild, savory side. Chop it small so it cooks evenly and you get a little in every spoonful.
- Scallions: One bunch, thinly sliced, with the whites and greens kept separate. The whites cook with the celery and the greens get tossed with the bread. Scallions are milder than a regular onion, so they add fresh onion flavor without taking over.
- Garlic: A quick cook in the butter turns it fragrant and mellow instead of sharp.
- Dried thyme: The classic Thanksgiving herb. Warming it in the butter wakes up its flavor and spreads it through every bite.
- Salt and pepper: Season to taste, keeping in mind how salty your stock is. Together with the garlic and thyme, it’s just enough seasoning to taste like Thanksgiving.
- Chicken stock or turkey broth: 1 cup to moisten the bread. Chicken stock keeps it simple, and turkey broth adds a deeper, roasted flavor. If you plan to stuff the turkey, see the FAQ below for how much to leave out.
How to Make Thanksgiving Stuffing
- Heat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease an 11 x 7 x 2 inch baking dish. Greasing the dish keeps the edges from sticking and helps them crisp.
- Cook the vegetables. Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the celery, scallion whites, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper and cook until soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir often so the garlic softens without browning. Stir in the stock and remove from the heat. Adding the stock to the warm pan picks up all of that buttery flavor.
- Toss with the bread. In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with the scallion greens. Pour the butter and vegetable mixture over the top and toss again to coat. Turn the bread gently from the bottom up so every cube gets coated without getting crushed.
- Let it soak. Let the bread sit for 5 minutes so it absorbs the liquid. The cubes should look moist but not soggy. If a few on top still look dry, give the bowl one more gentle toss.
- Bake covered. Spoon the stuffing evenly into the baking dish and bake covered for 30 minutes. Spread it out without pressing it down. Covering traps the steam so the inside turns soft and tender.
- Bake uncovered. Uncover and bake 15 to 25 minutes more, until it is as brown and crisp as you like. With the cover off, the steam escapes and the top dries out and turns golden.
Kami’s tip: I like mine crispy, so I bake it uncovered for the full 25 minutes. For softer, more moist stuffing, pull it after about 15 minutes.
Thanksgiving Stuffing FAQs
- What is the best bread for stuffing? A fresh 1 pound loaf. When I was hunting for bread cubes, a kind employee at my grocery store bakery sliced a fresh whole wheat loaf two ways for me and handed back perfect cubes. Most store bakeries will do this if you ask. White, sourdough or asiago loaves work too.
- Do I need stale bread for stuffing? No. Most recipes call for stale or toasted bread, but I love the texture fresh bread gives this stuffing. Fresh cubes soak up the butter and stock quickly and still bake up crisp on top.
- Should stuffing be baked covered or uncovered? Both. Bake it covered for 30 minutes so the bread soaks up the butter and stock, then uncovered for 15 to 25 minutes to brown the top.
- Can I stuff the turkey with this recipe? Yes. Leave out all of the chicken stock or turkey broth, or at least 1/2 cup of it. The juices from the turkey add plenty of moisture as it cooks. Stuffing cooked inside the bird will be softer, since it never gets uncovered time to crisp.
- How do I keep stuffing moist? Let the bread sit in the butter and stock mixture for 5 minutes before baking, and keep the uncovered baking time on the short side.
- How do I make stuffing extra crispy? Bake it in a dish instead of inside the turkey, and leave it uncovered for the full 25 minutes. Cutting the cubes about the same size helps the whole top brown evenly.
- Why use unsalted butter? It lets you control the salt, since chicken stock and turkey broth can be salty. Taste the vegetable mixture and season with salt and pepper from there.
Crispy Baked Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 lb loaf of fresh bread cut into 1/2 inch cubes approximately 8 to 10 cups
- 1/4 lb 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups celery chopped
- 1 bunch scallions washed and thinly sliced keeping white and greens separated
- 1 Tbs minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup chicken stock or turkey broth
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add celery, scallion whites, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook until celery and onion are soft (3 to 5 minutes). Add chicken stock and stir until combined. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, add bread cubes and scallions greens. Toss to combine well. Pour butter/vegetable mixture over bread and once again toss to coat. Allow bread crumbs to sit for 5 minutes to allowed the liquid to absorb into the bread.
- In lightly greased 11 x 7 x 2 inches baking dish, evenly spoon stuffing mixture into the pan. Baked covered for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake for 15 to 25 minutes until stuffing reaches desired brown color and crispiness (I like mine more crispy and baked mine uncovered for the full additional 25 minutes).
Notes
Making this for Thanksgiving? Leave a star rating in the recipe card and tell me in the comments whether your family likes it soft or crispy. Have a very safe and happy Thanksgiving!
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