Gluten-Free Classic Sourdough Stuffing
An adaptation of the classic stuffing recipe originally published by Cook's Illustrated.
Total time: 2 hours
Yields: 16 servings
This recipe can easily be cut in half to make 8 servings. Follow the same directions and use a 9"x11" metal pan.
Gluten-Free, can be made Vegetarian
INGREDIENTS
1 Bread SRSLY Gluten-Free Sourdough Pullman Loaf, cut into 1" cubes
¾ cup plus ½ tablespoon unsalted butter (and a little extra for your pan)
5 ribs of celery, finely chopped
2 medium yellow onions, minced
1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced
3 tablespoons fresh sage, minced
3 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
5 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. Pre-heat oven to 300°F. Spread bread cubes out evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, or until they're toasty to the touch (as in, crisp but not golden). Remove from the oven and let them cool.
2. Turn the oven up to 400°F and grease a 15”x10” metal baking pan. Set aside.
3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter or oil. Add the chopped onions and celery and sauté for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables start to soften. Add the chopped herbs. Sauté for one minute, remove from heat.
4. Toss together the sautéed vegetables and herbs with the broth, eggs, bread cubes, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl, combine until the bread cubes are evenly coated. Pour the stuffing into the metal pan and cover with a sheet of aluminum foil.
5. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and give the stuffing a quick stir to redistribute the moisture. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, or until the tips of the bread cubes start to golden.
6. After you remove the stuffing from the oven, let it cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. If you want to make the dish in advance, partially bake the stuffing and save the last 30 minutes for later. Or finish baking the stuffing, and right before you’re ready it serve it, cover it with foil and pop it in a pre-heated oven (around 300°F) for 5-10 minutes.
7. Enjoy!
HELPFUL HINTS
VEGETARIAN AND VEGAN SUBSTITUTIONS:
Eggs: Vegan egg replacer or flax seed "eggs" work well in this recipe.
Butter: replace with equal parts mild (not extra virgin) olive oil.
VARIATIONS:
This stuffing recipe is simple and delicious as is, but it can also serve as a foundation for some stuffing experimentation. If you want to add more vegetables, sauté them along with the celery and onions before adding the herbs. If adding meat, sauté in the butter or oil before the vegetables, then remove the meat from the pan, leaving the butter or oil in the pan for sautéing the vegetables and herbs.
THE KEY TO FLUFFY STUFFING:
Our bread really likes to soak up moisture, which is why we changed up the ratio of bread to other ingredients. Properly drying out your bread is the key to fluffy (and not soggy) stuffing. Be sure to follow the first few steps, even if your stuffing feels a bit dry or stale!
JAZZ UP YOUR BROTH!
The bread cubes are like little sponges, and broth is the ingredient they soak up the most. If homemade broth isn’t an option, fret not. Store-bought broth’s flavor can be enhanced quite a bit with some vegetables, herbs and a little bit of heat.
Before you start on prep, pour the broth into a small saucepan along with these ingredients:
- 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
- 2 ribs of celery, quartered
- 2 carrots, quartered
- 8 black peppercorns
- 3 cloves of garlic, slightly crushed
- 1 bay leaf
Bring to boil then immediately reduce to a simmer. Remove from heat after 20 minutes and let it cool slightly before mixing it with the other ingredients (don’t let it bake the eggs!). If too much liquid is lost, add more broth or water.